An ambulance donated by RPS (at right) has now joined the Winston County Rescue Squad’s first ambulance (at left), purchased in June, at the squad’s base at Arley Fire Department, giving the WCRS the two ambulances it needs to be certified to operate. Shown here are, front row, RPS Director of Operations Robin Earley, WCRS’ Cody Wakefield, WCRS Board of Directors President Pat Hanna, RPS’ Brittany Alexander, WCRS BoD Member James Rickett of Arley Fire Department, and back row, Helicon Fire Department’s Greg
ARLEY - The Winston County Rescue Squad (WCRS) is a big step closer to being able to provide ambulance service to east Winston County now that it has the second of two ambulances it requires to operate, this one donated by Regional Paramedical Services (RPS).
“Due to the generosity of Regional Paramedical Services, we have been provided a
second ambulance unit, and we are profoundly grateful,” said Pat Hanna, president of the WCRS’ board of directors. “This demonstrates that we are all in this together to serve the citizens of Winston County.”
RPS Operations Manager Tim Brown turned over to Hanna the title of a 2006 Ford E-350 ambulance, which has an 800-horsepower diesel engine, on Friday, Aug. 4. The ambulance has a little over 370,000 miles on it, said WCRS Board of Directors Member James Rickett, adding that it is in “real good shape.”
It was donated with all the equipment necessary to function as a Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulance, Hanna said.
“RPS heartily supports the efforts of these (fire) departments to add more resources to the east side of Winston County,” said RPS Chief Operating Officer Eric Pendley.
Addison, Arley, Central and Helicon fire departments formed the WCRS with the help of Hanna and Cody Wakefield, president of the county firefighters association and now part of the rescue squad.
“RPS has proudly served Winston County for many years, and (in) this rural area, (it) has always been a challenge to keep response times down,” Pendley continued. “Their efforts to gather donations and financial support to provide service to these areas is outstanding. Their efforts to assist in covering these rural areas on the east side will help every citizen in Winston County have better service. We are greatly supportive to work with them to make EMS better.
“Across this state low reimbursement rates from insurance providers and rising healthcare coasts stymies EMS responses to people in need. With today’s challenges in EMS across Alabama, we must all work together to serve our communities,” Pendley added.
Anyone who would like to make a donation to the WCRS may do so in person at BankFirst in Arley or by mailing a check to the bank at P.O. Box 117, Arley, Ala., 35541, or to the WCRS itself at P.O. Box 471, Arley, Ala., 35541.
See complete story in the Northwest Alabamian.
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