Parrish ambulance to reduce response times in northern Manatee County

Sept. 13--MANATEE -- A little after 10 a.m. on a weekday, Manatee County Emergency Medical Services Commander Larry Luh turned left out of the Parrish Fire Station heading to the Manatee-Hardee county line.

Luh, who was driving just less than the 70-mph maximum speed ambulances can go, arrived more than 20 minutes later.

If it had been a call for an ambulance, it would have taken even longer to reach Manatee County's eastern boundary. The current primary response ambulance for the Parrish area is based 4 1/2 miles southwest of the Parrish Fire Station. And the extra time it takes for a paramedic to arrive in an emergency can be the difference between life and death.

With new approved developments estimated to add more than 23,000 homes to Parrish in coming years, Manatee County Emergency Medical Services wants to add an Advanced Life Support Ambulance in Parrish. The ambulance, which would be the 19th full-time transport ambulance for the county, would be the first new 24-hour ambulance added in about eight years.

"Having an additional ambulance is going to reduce response times and reduce move ups -- the additional benefit by reducing the units from the south side coming over here," Luh said.

With the closest primary response ambulance located at the North River Fire Station in Ellenton, routine response times for the unit are almost always 20 minutes, according to county documents. If this unit is already assigned to a call, the primary backup units are located anywhere from 5.9 miles, or 11 minutes, to the northeast; 6.5 miles, or 11 minutes, to the southwest; and 13.5 miles, or 19 minutes, to the southeast, according to county documents. That, officials say, points to the need

to have an ambulance at the Parrish Fire Station.

"Because the population growth is expanding in the Parrish area, the transport times are extended from the next closest station," EMS Chief Steve Krivjanik said. "We want to serve those citizens out there that are moving out to the area and provide the service in the standards that are established."

If approved this month in the county's $549 million budget, county staff hopes the new ambulance will be operational by mid-spring. It will cost $417,785 for the ambulance and related equipment, which will be paid by public safety impact fees, and $263,290 paid for by the ambulance charges for personnel and operating expenses. For the following full year, it will cost $526,030.

Parrish response time

Parrish residents already are underserved without a closer ambulance, says Ben Jordan, president of the Parrish Civic Association.

"This is one of the fastest-growing areas of the county, and I'm glad EMS is looking at what they can do to get service out here," Jordan said. "That's what they should be doing. It's a big step if we are getting one."

EMS officials are predicting that an ambulance in Parrish would respond to 1,000 calls a year, and that number could increase as more homes are built in Parrish. If the commission approves the ambulance, then EMS officials will change the zone boundaries, Luh said.

The ambulance located at North River Fire Station in Ellenton "will notice a reduction of going up to Parrish and Duette area quite a bit," Luh said.

Parrish Fire Department Chief Michael Johnson has watched Parrish grow a lot in the past 12 years as fire chief. He welcomes a new EMS unit located at the fire station.

"It's going to be a much quicker response," Johnson said. "Any time you put an ALS anywhere, it's obviously going to be a big improvement for that community. It's always a tremendous asset to any community to get an ALS unit."

Ambulances in Manatee

Last year's number of calls "during season" in Manatee County are the norm all year now: The division receives between 150 and 160 calls a day. In May, the center received 1,200 more calls than in May 2014. Luh attributes this jump to the population growth, and to more people not seeking proper medical care and relying on EMS.

But the last time the county added a 24-hour truck was about eight years ago, when the county's population and number of EMS calls was much lower. Manatee County EMS has 18 24-hour ambulances responsible for transporting those in need to area hospitals. The county also has one ambulance that operates 12 hours a day, which helps reduce the response time in the downtown U.S. 41 corridor. There are also six spare ambulances used when the primary vehicles are in for repair or for when additional units may be needed, such as during planned events or hurricanes.

Krivjanik said the six units are vehicles that have been replaced by newer units but are not at end-of-life yet, as ambulances are kept in reserve status for three or four years.

"We have to have these available for these crews to swap in," he said. "They are the next ones to go."

The average response time in Manatee County is 7.47 minutes, which is under the current industry standard to be on the scene within eight minutes. But those numbers do not "truly show the difference from areas like Parrish vs. Bradenton," so the county separates these times by using a model titled Urban vs. Rural, Krivjanik says. In May, the rural average time was 10.87 minutes and the urban average time was 6.74 minutes. But some rural response times are more than 15 minutes, according to Krivjanik.

The county's EMS is constantly ensuring that ambulances are located throughout the county -- sometimes pulling ambulances based in other portions of the county to north of the Manatee River to reduce response times as much as possible.

If only four of the county's ambulances are left available in the entire county, then the county will call on some of the neighboring counties and cities they have contracts with, Luh said. The county typically has to get a unit from Longboat Key or Sarasota once or twice a month, Luh said.

"Hospitals work well with us at that point," Luh said. The county aims for a 15-minute turnaround time at the hospitals.

New fire stations are built with having an EMS unit in mind, Luh said.

"It would be nice to have a truck at every fire station if we could afford the resources," Luh said. The State Road 70 and Lockwood Ridge Road area could be a logical next place for an ambulance with "the growth on that part of the county," he added.

Compared with other counties with similar population sizes to Manatee County, Manatee County is on the low end of ALS units with its 18 daily operational ambulances. According to the Florida Association of Counties, Manatee County has a population of 330,302 and is 743 square miles. Some counties also have additional available units either through private companies or cities located within the counties.

With a population of 383,664, according to the Florida Association of Counties, Sarasota County has 26 ALS ambulances. In Collier County with a population of 329,849, the county has 31 ALS units. Marion County with a population of 332,989 operates 32 ALS units during the day and 27 units at night.

While Lee County's population is almost double that of Manatee County, Lee is only 42 square miles larger and has 37 ALS ambulances. As an additional way to quickly transport patients to the hospitals, Manatee County is looking at using helicopters for incidents other than just traumas, Luh said.

The county can access up to six helicopters from other providers at no additional cost to the taxpayers.

"We are looking at using helicopters for heart attack and stroke victims out east," Luh said. "Time matters."

Claire Aronson, Manatee County reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7024. Follow her on Twitter @Claire_Aronson.

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