By Dionne Gleaton
The Times and Democrat
BAMBERG COUNTY, S.C. — Bamberg County’s administrator says he’s working to get the level of service needed from the county’s new ambulance service.
“We’ve got issues we’re trying to work through with Thorne. Kind of a rough, rocky start. Still kind of rocky. We’re getting there, but we’re still a ways off to the level of service that we feel like we need to be getting,” County Administrator Joey Preston said during a meeting held earlier this month.
Greenville-based Thorne Ambulance Service began providing Bamberg County’s EMS services on Aug. 9.
The county selected Thorne to replace its former ambulance service provider, Anderson-based Medshore Ambulance.
Preston has said that two advanced life support ambulances will be provided with an average response time of 14 minutes.
One ambulance each is stationed in Bamberg and Denmark. Automatic vehicle locating systems are used to ensure the closest unit responds to an emergency.
During the meeting, Preston passed out an October report from Thorne that had been discussed during a Nov. 30 EMS advisory committee meeting.
Thorne saw 241 patients received through the county’s Public Safety Access Point, or PSAP, with the average response time for the month standing at 13.6 minutes.
The average on-scene time was 29.4 minutes, exceeding Thorne’s internal goal by 9 minutes, but representing an improvement from the prior month. The average completion time for a call — calculated from “dispatched” to “clear” — was 59 minutes.
Councilwoman Sharon Hammond asked if there is any collaboration between Bamberg and Barnwell counties’ EMS services in terms of mutual aid. Barnwell County also has a contract with Thorne.
Preston said, " Barnwell made the public decision that they weren’t going to provide any support to any county, to provide back up to any county that needed it. For example, if all of our EMS units were occupied, or could not respond to call, normally what we’d have to do is we have mutual aid agreements with other counties.”
“We’ll call Orangeburg, we’ll call Allendale, we’ll call another county to come up and to help us just like we help them in any situation. Barnwell decided they weren’t going to further lend any assistance to any county.
“So they’re going to be their own little self-contained area. We responded to that by saying, ‘Hey, whoa, we’re supposed to be all working together.’ I’ve got no response at all from Barnwell County to that letter,” the administrator said.
Barnwell County Administrator Tim Bennett later said that while Barnwell County appreciates Preston’s concerns, " Barnwell County, like other counties in the state, is sorting through challenges related to EMS services.”
“Once we sort through our set of EMS issues here locally, we’ll be in a better position to respond to and hopefully resolve the kind of challenges mentioned in Mr. Preston’s letter,” Bennett said.
Bennett said Barnwell County is also in discussion with Thorne regarding “level of service.”
“We contracted for four properly staffed ambulances 24/7, and that’s what we expect per contract. Our county council chairman has been upfront with Mr. Preston that until we get our ambulances fully staffed here in Barnwell County, we’re not going to cross the county line and leave our citizens without sufficient coverage,” Bennett said.
He continued, “The exception would be a catastrophic event such as a mass casualty event that would possibly include a two- or three-car pileup involving multiple injuries, where more than two or three ambulances are needed, or a school bus mishap, or multiple gunshot victims.”
Bennett said Barnwell County anticipates “this being a temporary policy.”
“When we become fully staffed, we will take another look at resuming the kind of support Mr. Preston appears to be referring to,” he said.
The October report stated that Thorne employed 15 personnel in Bamberg County, with nine full-time. The report stated that 12 full-time employees are required in the county and that one full-time staff person had been added since the last report.
“While call-outs continue to be a problem, we are finally seeing a reduction in the number of weekly call-outs as Thorne Ambulance Service policies are upheld and disciplinary action is distributed to those in violation of the organization’s attendance policies,” the report stated.
Councilman Evert Comer Jr . asked, “Any possible liability exposure because of what’s going on with Barnwell ?”
Preston said, “That’s a good question, and that’s exactly why I am papering this up, to make sure that we let them know that we’re doing this. We don’t think they’re correct in what they’re doing. ... We have a kind of legal review going on right now. Anything that I tell Barnwell, I want to make sure we’re absolutely correct on.”
Ryan D. Thorne, Thorne’s chief executive officer, said his company was looking to create a more regionalized service for the two counties.
“We were collectively seeking an opportunity to create a more synergistic and ‘regionalized’ service, which is largely why we believe Barnwell and Bamberg selected a new provider around the same time,” Thorne said.
He said Bamberg County’s administration has been supportive and a “collaborative partner” in improving the quantity and quality of care provided to the community.
“They are dialed into the challenges of the ambulance industry not just locally, but nationwide and have a proactive administration. ... Following the implementation of services in both counties, Barnwell County passed a resolution that effectively eliminated our ability to enter mutual aid agreements — including those with our own service — for any request originating outside of Barnwell County,” Thorne said.
He said the resolution has presented challenges.
“While we have complied with the resolution, this has effectively reduced the number of resources available to either county. We now must see the county line as the border of one district and the beginning of another not to be crossed. We continue to work with both counties to find an amenable solution that will ensure equal and ample provision of services to those who require ambulance service,” he said.
Thorne said the ambulance service is also looking forward to hosting its first local EMT program that is tentatively scheduled for the end of January.
“This should boost the number of locally certified providers, creating more career opportunities for the citizens of both Bamberg and Barnwell counties,” he said.
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