Calls to Escambia County Emergency Medical Services have increased during the past year, and on Sunday night, a text to EMS staff seeking relief crews noted the department was "beyond critical staffing levels" for the night, forcing supervisors to run calls.
Interim Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore said the situation Sunday was caused by a combination of issues, including the shift being short-staffed after some call-ins and an entire ambulance crew having to remain on scene while Escambia County Fire Rescue fought a fire at Ascend Performance Materials.
A situation where there aren't enough EMS crews in trucks can lead to a "10-75" in which the county dispatch holds calls. Gilmore said when the county holds calls, it prioritizes sending ambulances, referred to as "boxes," to the most critical calls first. "Maybe I have 15 calls, and I've got 12 boxes," Gilmore said.