I here that Knox Co EMS is cutting back on ambulance coverage in Corbin area. A few of the workers have said that they are only have one truck during the day and at midnight til eight no ambulance , I really hope that this is not true but if it maybe corbin fire dept might check to see what a ambulance or 2 cost . I guess we will see if someone needs an ambulance . It is already bad enough in this area Laurel Co lost there building on ag road so there in London and Whitley co is in williamsburg, and KNOX CO is in Barbourville .
Cornbread wrote:I here that Knox Co EMS is cutting back on ambulance coverage in Corbin area. A few of the workers have said that they are only have one truck during the day and at midnight til eight no ambulance , I really hope that this is not true but if it maybe corbin fire dept might check to see what a ambulance or 2 cost . I guess we will see if someone needs an ambulance . It is already bad enough in this area Laurel Co lost there building on ag road so there in London and Whitley co is in williamsburg, and KNOX CO is in Barbourville . Good post Cornbread. When a city like Corbin is on the edge of three counties that are having financial problems it means we get left our in the cold. If the people who live within two miles of the Corbin City limits would come into the city Corbin would have enough money to have its own Ambulance Service.
The further away a citizen is from the County Courthouse the less service he or she receives. We need to make Corbin as strong as possible and then the people of this area could stand on their own regardless of how week the three county governments continue to be. People in and around Corbin are being shortchanged by the incompetent government at the County level.
We are paying more county taxes and getting less service for the money we spend. The Whitley County Occupational tax would not be so bad if the money was going to make our county and city better. It is actually being used to cover past mistakes.
I hadn't heard about them cutting back their service. They should have several full time ambulances in corbin with all the occupational tax money they get from the corbin end business's, as well as all the property taxes generated from this part of the county.
Our city manager used to be on the Knox County Ambulance Board, but I don't know if he still is. He should be an expert on the matter.
I do believe Bill Ed is still on the board, but why would he leave he rents the ambulance service a shack on Roy Kidd ave . A good source says that they are going to cut back pretty hard but i am sure that all the upper brass will not have to give up there county owned SUV . But of course if someone in Corbin needs a ambulance they wont care to run one down here from Barbourville
I recall that article recently on corbin having a million bucks in the bank now for a rainy day type thing.
Maybe it's time to start a city ambulance service, through the fire department. It was discussed years ago, and the city didn't run with it.
I had forgotten about Bill Ed renting that building to the Knox Ambulance Service. They have, or had, a contract with the city. Isn't that a conflict of interest where he's concerned.
I know knox county has an ambulance tax, and much of that tax comes from the corbin end of knox county, and the high property taxes that the corbin end residents pays. Maybe this will get the knox county corbin residents and demand their magistrate do something other than NOTHING about this issue and the occupational tax money.
I do believe that the City Fire Dept needs a ambulance service. after all we pay enough in taxs ,the city would have to hire a few more people ,but they could house them at the eastside fire station ,and the south corbin fire station,heck the south station is closed 90 percent of the time anyways. becouse of overtime issues but the city could bill insurance co. What do you think Bill Ed?. Lets give it a try
That a boy Cornbread... I think they need a ambulance service in the city as well. While there at it maybe they could at least 3 men to the fire truck there and get the department up to date.
An excellent idea, which means the city leaders will probably not even consider it.
They'll spend their time on ball fields and recreational issues, they'll all show up at the few ribbon cuttings we have, but true all inclusive projects like this they'll never consider because of all the time and expense it would take to set it up.
Tell the city manager and the fire chief to get on it and start researching it and get it going. Then, look for grants and such to start it up with. Hire some firemen/paramedics, and open it up to the present firemen to train as such as well. Most are already EMT's I'm guessing. This will open up jobs for people too.
No need to hire someone else for the billing and such, you already have three clerks in the office, delegate the responsibility to them, and the mayors secretary as well. One can do insurance billing, one medicare and medicaid issues, another can tally run sheets, and the last can follow the expenses and such. Spread the wealth.
We could do it two ways, in city runs only, or expand it to the counties.
In the city, only ambulance runs within the city limits, period. Yes, you can do that, you do it with the police and fire dept. now. Not a problem.
If you do the city and county, you'll need more people and vehicles, but, the city runs get a discount, one that will make a difference.
This could be a major incentive for people, especially the more elderly people, to annex into the city limits.
Take the nursing homes in laurel county on american greetings road. Since they closed the ambulance station just above them ( i think it's still closed) they have a hard time sometimes getting an ambulance to come for patients for regular doctor or hospital visits for non-emergency runs, as emergency runs take priority. Charge those nursing homes full price, no discount.
Are the nursing homes back behind the new Expo area in the city limits, if so, they get a discount, if not, hammer them. Make them want to come into the city.
Yes, it's time Corbin moved into the 21st century with a fire dept ambulance service. And if he city manager balks, we can deal with that in another forum.
All of the nursing homes are in the city except the one on AG road . The city could do like some other city's that run fire/ems together they could check but i think Somerset does that ,and even Lexington, But something has got to change i herd today that the city utilities turned the power off to the ambulance service in corbin .Either bad payment or no payment .I just hope that the citizens of corbin don't suffer from this .
Just to clear some things up on here, at this time Knox county is not planning on pulling out of corbin. Due to some internal problems, we have to cut back some for the time being to get caught up with some things. We have been running 2 trucks during the day, and one truck from midnight til 8 in the morning. We will now be cutting back to one truck during the day occasionally, but not every day. What most might not know is that when all trucks are tied up in corbin, barbourville sends one of their trucks to "standby" at the RECC. This way, in case a run comes in before a corbin crew is freed up, the will already be halfway to corbin and shorten the response time. As for the city giving funds to the ambulance service, they used to years ago, but not any more. Thats why the corbin trucks used to have "corbin-knox" on the sides of them, but dont now. Many of us do not agree with dropping a crew as it causes the real possibility of someone having to wait too long for medical treatment. My advice to anyone worried about this is to contact your local magistrate, Knox county fiscal court, or the Judge executive. We will continue to provide the best care we can, and try to provide the quickest response times possible. Hopefully it wont take too long to have the problems work out and we will be able to resume the 2 24 hour trucks we have provided in years past. I hope ive helped clear up any rumors and maby answered some questions. take care all
Sorry bubbymedic, wasn't trying to make no one mad,or pointing fingers.All i was saying that Knox EMS was cutting back, and that is true due to some (funding ) issue . If that is the reason dont blame the fisical court ,or Mr Cima becouse the Ambulance Service has there own board. But there would not be nothing wrong for the City Fire Dept having a couple of ambulances in the city ,like i said before we sure pay enough in tax. I just hope no one needs a ambulance on one of the days that there (cutting back) but of look on the bright side it is only about 7-8 miles to RECC form the city so i guess we will be alright time must not be a issue. Maybe someday the city leaders will get on board and start looking out for all of the people of corbin .
No problem cornbread, just trying to let everyone know whats going on. I dont think its a bad idea at all for corbin to get their own ambulance service. That way they wouldnt have to depend on b-ville, williamsburg, or london for their ambulance. And if the pay was right with the same retirement and benefits that the fire department has, I dont think you would have any problem getting paramedics to work there. Ive even been a firefighter in the past, and really enjoy both, so that would be right up my alley. I can see it happening in the future, but not in the near future. As for blaming the board and fiscal court, I only have one question. How can you cut back crews and expect to make money. If you have less crews, thats less runs you can take, and therefore less money you make. Just dont make any sense to a lot of us. Oh well.....
The one thing that will make them wake up is a lawsuit from someone's family that is in need of an ambulance and there isn't one due to cutting back county or city funding. It's strange how the courts make things all of a sudden seem very simple.
