MARRERO, LA – West Jefferson Medical Center (WJMC) EMS will donate $500 to the Wears Valley Volunteer Fire Department in Wears Valley, Tennessee to help build living quarters for EMS Crews that don’t currently have 24/7 EMS service in the area.
Recently, WJMC EMS learned the Wears Valley Volunteer Fire Department needed help. A year ago wild fires devastated rural communities in the Smokey Mountains, like Wears Valley, Tennessee. Three people died, one of them lived in Wears Valley.
Wears Valley Volunteer Fire Department Chief, Tony Patty, says response times are an issue for local EMS crews covering Wears Valley. Currently, there isn’t 24/7 ambulance service in the area. The closest ambulance services are between seven to 10 miles away. Those extra miles could mean the difference between life and death.
“We’re looking to raise between $40 to $50-thousand dollars to build female and male living quarters at our Wears Valley Volunteer Fire Department headquarters – two bedrooms and two bathrooms,” Patty said. “This will help provide faster response times.”
“In Louisiana, we’ve all been through a catastrophic event, whether it was Katrina or Isaac or the recent flooding,” said Amanda Gonzalez, WJMC EMS Paramedic. “Coming together as a community to help each other out just reinforces not only the brother and sisterhood of EMS but of all first responders. 24/7 EMS should be available everywhere, especially somewhere so rural. You never know if it could be your family member or friend that might need help. As a first responder knowing why we got into this, ultimately to help other people, and not to be able to do that because of funding… it hurts us emotionally.”
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WJMC EMS Makes Donation To Build Living Quarters For TN EMS Crew
