Wellston EMS on Life Support, Ambulance Loss Could Add Strain to Area Medics

By Rusty Surette, NEWS 9

WELLSTON, Oklahoma -- Wellston Emergency Medical Services are under a financial strain. If the lone EMS truck is taken out of service, citizens would have to wait for an ambulance to arrive from Chandler, Shawnee or even Stillwater, which also creates a bigger problem for those agencies.

Officials in Wellston met Monday night to discuss the future of the city-run ambulance service. The Wellston City Council said it all boils down to money.

"It's mainly that there's a lot of people not able to pay their bills," said Wellston Mayor Paul Whitnah.

And the Mayor of Wellston said paying for emergency medical services isn't always a top priority for citizens, even if they use it.

"We'll make a run on an individual and they don't have insurance is what it all boils down to," said Mayor Whitnah.

The city council told a concerned crowd the EMS division lost $68,000 in just the last year. Representative Danny Morgan said it's a common crisis facing small-city ambulances across the state.

"Being able to help is the biggest reasons I do it," said Wellston EMS Paramedic Todd Beesley.

Beesley is one of nearly a dozen part and full-time medics who will lose their job if the service folds and he said this is far from a Wellston-only issue.

"It's going to increase response times because then that burden is going to fall on surrounding ambulance services and increase response times and anybody who's ever worked in EMS can tell you about the golden hour and it starts to cut down on that," said Beesley.

His co-worker, Lisa Key, said Wellston, as financially challenged as it is, can't afford to lose the services.

"You need the ambulance around as well as I've grown up with most of the people here and their parents and their grandparents so it's more than just a job, it's a needed asset," said Wellston EMS Paramedic Lisa Key.

The biggest issue for the department is the service area which spans nearly 300 square miles in Lincoln County.

The city said its next step is to try and work out a deal with one of the surrounding ambulance services to come in and do contracted work with its current employees. It may also look at creating a new ambulance district that would be headed up by a new board that's voted on by the citizens.