A local ambulance company is adding to its fleet after being unable to respond to emergencies recently. But, problems with response times and availability aren’t just limited to the Valley.
Firefighters in Poland started running their own ambulance a year ago, looking to fill in when American Medical Response didn’t have crews available.
“We thought would be three or four times a month. We’re transporting, on average, once a day,” said Chief Chip Comstock, Western Reserve Fire District.
Since then, the department has seen about 700 runs and plans to add a second ambulance.
“We have to fill that void, and a lot of other communities who aren’t prepared to do that are gonna have issues,” Comstock said.
Comstock said the nation is facing a worsening shortage of paramedics.