Photograph: Acadian Ambulance business development director Paul Fuselier speaks to the St. Landry Parish Council last week. (Photograph by Bobby Ardoin)
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
The St. Landry Parish Council has introduced an ordinance which intends to create an emergency service advisory board which establishes regulations for licensing parish wide ambulance service.
Council members discussed response times during a regular meeting last week and those who spoke about the matter stressed the need for quicker emergency services especially in the northern areas of St. Landry.
Representatives from Acadian Ambulance, Med-Express and St. Landry EMS – the three parish ambulance services – filled the Old City Market meeting room and explained how the companies respond to emergency calls.
During an interview that preceded the meeting, parish president Jessie Bellard said that he and officials with the three ambulance companies have met for several months in order to consider ways to reduce response times for rural areas.
Bellard estimated that it normally requires 20-25 minutes for ambulances to reach some areas of the parish due to the large geographical area in St. Landry.
St. Landry, Bellard indicates, has one of the largest land areas of any parish statewide.
At this point Bellard said that all three companies have met with him and parish government representatives about reducing emergency response time and seem agreeable to continue discussing the issue.
Acadian Ambulance, Med-Express and St. Landry EMS have base stations in Eunice and Opelousas.
Paul Fuselier, business development director for Acadian Ambulance said each of the ambulance providers have units moving across Interstate 49 and U.S. 190.
“To say that (the companies) stay in one area and wait for calls is not how we operate. We are on I-49 and 190. We have that maneuverability and resources and we are meeting the needs of this parish in the best possible way,” said Fuselier.
Council member Timothy LeJeune told Fuselier that there should be more emergency service concentration on the northern end of the parish.
LeJeune admitted that developing a response plan that incorporates northern St. Landry would probably be more expensive.
“I would like to see a plan where all the companies can come together on the north end of the parish,” LeJeune said.
Fuselier said the companies usually share an alternative posting point at St. Ann Catholic Church west of Lawtell. Fuselier also described a system in which the ambulance services respond to emergencies on a rotating basis, so no calls are left unanswered.
Due mainly to population size, northern St. Landry Fuselier said, does not provide as many calls as other parts of the parish.
“We have to operate and put our resources in the best places to get a response as quickly as possible,” Fuselier said.
