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Ambulance To Shift Stations

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By ANGELA DELGADO, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 17, 2007

LUTZ - The Lutz Volunteer Fire Department is relocating its ambulance to East Hillsborough on a 90-day trial basis beginning Nov. 1.
Hillsborough County Fire Rescue Chief William Nesmith recently held a meeting at the Lutz Civic Center, 98 First Ave. NW, to explain the move to residents.

The ambulance, Rescue Unit No. 24, was placed at the Lutz station in 1987, but in recent years a number of stations have been added, most in the northwest Hillsborough area, Nesmith said. Two of those stations - Station 40 at Chapman Road and Highway 41 in Lutz and Station 41 at Mapledale Boulevard and Dale Mabry Highway in Northdale - have taken up the bulk of calls from the Lutz station, Station 24.

A recent audit showed that during June, July, August and September, Station 24 had 181 calls during its 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. peak hours. That is an average of 1.5 calls during peak hours a day.

Considering it costs about $800,000 a year for each rescue unit, the staff began looking for a change.

'We don't feel we're getting the biggest bang for our bucks by them responding to 1.5 calls in a 10-hour period,' Nesmith said.

In this budget year, there were 25 days when the station didn't receive calls, Nesmith said. Station 1 in Progress Village received 469 calls in those same four months during the same peak hours, averaging 3.9 calls a day. Station 1 does not have a rescue unit so it will temporarily take Rescue 24.

'This is a very, very busy area for us now,' said Rescue Division Chief David Travis. 'This will aid them tremendously.'

The unit will leave from Station 24 at 9 a.m. for Station 1 and return to Station 24 by 7 p.m.

Fire rescue is making up for the absence by placing a paramedic on the Station 24 engine. The paramedic may stabilize a patient, but Nesmith said may not transport a patient to the hospital. The closest ambulance will be called to transport the patient, he said.

Nesmith said the Fire Rescue department requested a rescue unit for Station 24, but county budget cuts didn't allow it. The department will try again for the 2009 budget year. The staff also is applying for the federal Safer Grant, which pays half of the fire rescue salary while the county pays the other half.

'It's not like we're looking to move rescue without trying to find other alternatives,' he said. 'Our ultimate goal is to have a rescue unit at every fire station.'

A handful of people attended the meeting and accepted the department's decision to move the ambulance.

'I feel it's a reasonable thing to do,' said Lutz resident Auralee Buckingham. 'As long as we have an EMS person that rides our truck, we don't necessarily need the full contingent. If Brandon needs it, that's where we ought to put it.'

Marilyn Wannamaker, a board member with the volunteer fire rescue, agreed.

'I support the decision they made because they felt it would be best someplace else for the time being,' she said. 'But, I'm hoping some day soon, we'll have it back again.'

Nesmith said it is possible the ambulance could stay at Station 1 if it's a success, but 'if the number of calls increase in the Lutz area, just as quickly as we looked to move it to another area, it can be moved back.'

Reporter Angela Delgado can be reached at (813) 865-1501 or adelgado@tampatrib.com.

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