Crosstown Construction Could Slow Emergency Response

In a business where every second counts, EMSA admits the Crosstown construction is causing some delays.

Monday, November 17th 2008, 12:30 am

By: News 9


By Jon Jordan, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- In a business where every second counts EMSA admits the Crosstown construction is costing them some seconds, with the potential for even minutes.

On almost every street south of downtown, drivers are met with Crosstown construction signs sending you in a different direction.

EMSA's emergency vehicles are forced to try and make it through the mess. Crews admit it poses a problem.

"I don't know about slowing us down," EMSA Operation Supervisor Colin Roy said. "I think that there may be certain circumstances where our response times might be a little delayed."

While INTEGRIS's Dr. Mary Ann Bauman sees EMSA's potential for delays as a concern, she said people can prevent them by acting faster when feeling signs of a heart attack or stroke.

"The key is that as soon as you are having these symptoms, or you see a loved one having these symptoms, that's the time to make the phone call," Bauman said.

In the meantime EMSA says they'll work to maneuver around the construction.

"We're confident that we'll get to them as fast as we possibly can, given the challenges that we have to overcome," Roy said.

To help overcome some of those challenges EMSA says they have worked it out so they have emergency vehicles positioned on both sides of the construction to help prevent delays.

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