Glencoe gains 24/7 EMT service for the first time

The city of Glencoe now has trained EMTs available 24/7 for the first time in its history.

The city's police and fire chiefs were able to do it with volunteers and part time workers. The police department has two dispatchers--Richard Johnson and Landon Ball, both of whom are also Rainbow City firefighters--who are trained EMTs.

Johnson tells of one incident, during the short time the city has been fully staffed, where he left the microphone to go to a call.

"The ambulance service would say, you know, 'you just called us on the telephone, how are you on this call?' I actually take the call, tone the medics out, get one of them to come in and go on the call."

Johnson and Ball are Glencoe natives and happy to help out in their home town.

"I've been wanting to see something like this happen," says Ball, who describes himself as "excited to get it going."

Glencoe Fire Chief Chris Hare says it's been a goal of his for years to meet the needs of the city this week, and reduce the unanswered or late medic calls due to a lack of EMTs. He credits the joint cooperation of Police Chief David Colvard to work out a schedule that would allow such a small town to get this type of 24 hour, seven day a week coverage.

"It's going to work out very well," Hare says.

Mayor Charles Gilchrist says he's especially proud of how the city's workers identified a need and worked to take care of it. He also pointed out a Glencoe firefighter saved a person from choking in an Oxford restaurant recently, showing just how important their training can be even when it's not expected.

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