Court Discusses Conflict Between Sheriff’s Department and EMS
The Glasscock
County Commissioners’ Court on Nov.13 again discussed problems involving the
Glasscock County Sheriff’s Department and the local Emergency Medical Service.
Commissioner Mark Halfmann and County Treasurer Alan Dierschke related details
of a recent incident when a county ambulance went out on a 911 emergency call,
and was unable to contact local law enforcement for assistance.
Specifically,
Dierschke said the ambulance driver needed directions for finding a residence on
Highway 87 in the northeast part of the county.
Dierschke
said the incident took place about 8 p.m. on a weeknight and that there was no
response from county law enforcement to numerous telephone and radio calls from
EMS personnel. The ambulance driver was finally able to get the phone number of
the residence from the 911 service in Stanton, called the residence and got
directions to the house. Dierschke said Constable LeRoy Hoelscher responded
later via radio.
Commissioner
Michael Hoch said Sheriff Pruit was out of the county on family medical matters;
one deputy was out of the county on vacation, and the other deputy was at a Cub
Scout meeting at the local Senior Citizens’ Center.
No
one on the county court could say for sure whether deputies carry cell phones
and/or portable radios outside their cars.
EMS
Cites Lack of Support; May Quit
Halfmann
said EMS volunteers have felt for some time that local law enforcement personnel
make little effort to support and to work with them. In that regard, he said a
group of three EMS volunteers met with Sheriff Pruit several days prior to the
recent incident in order to voice their concerns and to ask that Pruit take
steps in his department to improve the situation. Halfmann said Pruit told the
group that he would look into the matter.
Halfmann
and Dierschke both reported that EMS volunteers have said they will turn in
their pagers and will no longer respond to emergency calls if there is another
incident in which they are not supported by local law enforcement.
Dierschke
said, “If the present situation continues, the county will soon have no
emergency medical service. Too much is being asked of EMS volunteers.”
County
Judge Wilburn Bednar said, “I am sympathetic to the volunteers; they get no
pay, they do lots of training and work, and then are hassled and get no
cooperation.”
Meeting
Set to Discuss Problems
Commissioner
Jimmy Strube said, “We just keep talking about this problem and it doesn’t
get any better. We need to do something soon, not just let it brew.”
Although
the commissioners’ court has no direct jurisdiction over the sheriff’s
department, commissioners decided that the court should ask that all parties
involved attend a special commissioners’ court meeting for the purpose of
airing differences and solving problems.