AMBULANCE SERVICES SUSPENDED AS A RESULT OF AN INTERNAL REVIEW

Several months ago the Fire Chief called for a 5 year operational review to identify any ways to improve the fire district. St. Tammany Fire Protection District No. 11 has brought in resources from outside of the fire protection district to maintain a nonbiased approach on the functions and operations including our ambulance and Emergency Medical Services (EMS). After the initial phases of the internal review and initial findings, St. Tammany Fire Protection District No. 11 has decided that our best course of action for the community is to suspend the ambulance service. This will allow for a complete and thorough review ensuring the best possible service for the community. It is understood that the community would be concerned about responses to medical emergencies. We have spoken to management with Acadian ambulance service who has been made fully aware of the decision by the Fire Chief. Acadian ambulance service will continue to ensure that calls for medical assistance are answered within our fire protection district boundaries as well as within the Town of Pearl River. The result of the decision to suspend ambulance services will in no way impact other operations within St. Tammany Fire Protection District No. 11. The Fire Chief and the administration of St. Tammany Fire Protection District No. 11 wants to ensure that the community completely understands that this is a decision that we made based off of our own findings. At no time has patient care or the safety of the community been compromised. The decision to suspend our ambulance service is with the community’s best interest in mind. It is our goal in the near future to resume ambulance services once the internal reviews are complete and improvements are made as a result of all of the findings.