BRONSON, MI (WTVB) – Bronson Fire Chief Scott Wilber has posted a lengthy statement on the fire department’s Facebook page about the circumstances surrounding a call Tuesday night after a Bronson High School Varsity Basketball player was injured late in a game against Springport.
The game was eventually called off due to the amount of time it took for the ambulance to arrive.
Wilber says the nearest available ambulance, which responded to the call, was in Athens.
Medical calls are prioritized by the dispatcher who receives the 911 call based on a computerized system. About 15 minutes after the initial call from the basketball game, the dispatcher made a judgment call to have Bronson Fire Department respond to what was categorized a priority three medical. The department’s Rescue 5 responded with three medically licensed personnel and were on scene within two minutes of the notification from the dispatch center.
But Wilber points out there is a nation-wide shortage of Emergency Medical Services personnel working on ambulances. He says the fundamental problem is how insurance companies as well as Medicaid and Medicare reimburse the ambulance organizations for their services which is normally at a rate far less then the actual expense.
Often times, when the customer is billed for the remainder of the cost, the funds are unable to be collected.
Wilber adds ambulance services cannot pay employees at a rate equal to the current job market as it would quickly bankrupt them, and this has led to a mass exodus of EMS workers.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exasperated the issue which has led to on some occasions to longer than anticipated waits for an ambulance to arrive.
Wilber says it is important for the public to understand that when calling 911 for a medical emergency it may take an extended amount of time for an ambulance to arrive due to a shortage of EMS workers.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss this issue, call the Bronson Fire Station at (517) 369-6475.
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