NASHVILLE, Mich. (WOOD) — The doors are locked at the Castleton-Maple Grove-Nashville EMS station.
Two ambulances sit idle waiting for a call, which is the way they will stay, for now.
“It’s our intent to get our service back up and running as quickly as possible,” said Cheryl Hartwell, Castleton-Maple Grove-Nashville EMS board chair.
Last Monday, the EMS provider that serves the three townships, the village of Nashville and parts of Eaton County with advanced life support service closed.
Barry County’s Medical Control Authority, a group of medical professionals that oversees EMS service in each Michigan County, effectively took Castleton-Maple Grove-Nashville out of service. With no oversight from the Authority, the state declared the ambulance services’ license null and void.
Hartwell said communication problems and a shortage of personnel led to the closure. The lack of personnel left important forms and other documents incomplete.
“There’s a lot, a lot of paperwork involved with it,” Hartwell said. “Depending on how many times you get toned out back to back, you can get behind easily. But this was a little bit extreme.”
It’s a problem common to many small, community supported EMS providers.
Full Story via WOODTV