VIDEO: Kansas EMS agencies are feeling the strain when it comes to staffing ambulances. The volunteers that once picked up the slack are few and far between. Some Kansas towns are seeing this firsthand, which could lead to longer waits in the case of an emergency.
The Sumner County town of Conway Springs, about 30 miles southwest of Wichita, has a small EMS service that used to be a volunteer service. The struggle to keep that service running as it should prompted a change.
“The previous director before I started was having problems trying to maintain the volunteer service,” said paramedic and Conway Springs EMS Director Christina Perry.
It was a serious problem that led Conway Springs to become a full-time service. But EMS in a small town still needs volunteers to help out. In Conway Springs, that isn’t happening.