Escambia EMS Adding ‘Ambubus’ For Mass Casualty Transports
January 6, 2022
Escambia County EMS is converting a retired school bus into an AmbuBus.
The Ambubus is just what the name sounds like — a bus that has been transformed into an ambulance for transporting multiple patients at the same time. The seating is removed and replaced with cots, stretchers and areas for medical supplies.
“We can do a mass movement for patients,” Escambia County Public Safety Eric Gilmore said. “If we have a mass casualty, we have to move patients from a hospital, or we have to evacuate, we will have the AmbuBus.”
The bus was donated by the Escambia County School District, and the county has the conversion kit.
The Florida Department of Health has awarded the county a $25,714 grant to install the conversion kit to complete the inside of the bus.
“It can transport 14-16 patients, or more if they are not in serious condition,” Gilmore said. “It will help us move a lot of people real fast.”
Pictured: The inside of two Ambubus vehicles, courtesy First Line Tech.
COVID-19 Positivity At 50% At Drive-thru Testing Site; Official Says That’s Not Necessarily Concerning
January 6, 2022
About half of the people tested for COVID-19 on the first day of a drive-thru site in Pensacola were positive.
Ascension Sacred Heart restarted their drive-thru testing site due to a rise in cases and hospitalizations, setting a one day testing record on Tuesday of 649.
But the roughly 50% positivity rate should not be the community’s focus for the omicron variant of COVID-19, according to Escambia County Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore. Instead, he said the biggest concern should be the number of people hospitalized due to the virus.
“It’s been said omicron spreads really rapidly. You will hear a positivity rate. If you look at hospitalizations, they are rising…but it’s not exponential like it was with delta (variant),” he said. “People think they need to do something when they test positive, but most of the time they can stay home and self-medicate, taking a lot of unnecessary load off of the hospitals.”
He said that not as many people are being required to get a test in order to return to school or work, so probably most of the people getting tested feel bad and are more likely to test positive.
“They hear Sacred Heart is accessible, so that’s where they go to get it,” he said, contributing to the high positivity rate.
Gilmore said Escambia County will continue to monitor the number of hospitalizations with hope that the number will fall below 50 in the near term. As of Wednesday, there were 116 COVID-19 hospitalizations in Escambia County.
COVID-19 drive-thru testing is currently available as follows:
Ascension Sacred Heart (Thursday & Friday)
The Ascension Sacred Heart drive-thru will be open through Friday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at 5192 Bayou Boulevard. No pre-registration or appointment is needed. The testing site will offer the traditional PCR swab test that will be sent to the hospital laboratory at Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola. Lab results will be available in 24 hours.
Ascension Medical Group will bill a patient’s insurance (if insured), but the service will be provided with no out-of-pocket charges for the test. Those seeking a test should bring a valid form of identification and insurance card.
Decisions about Ascension Sacred Heart’s testing beyond this week have not been made yet.
Community Health (Thursday only)
Community Health Northwest Florida, in partnership with Escambia County, will offer drive-thru COVID-19 testing Thursday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Brownsville Community Center, 3200 West Desoto Street. The PCR test will be available; no rapid tests.
The event is open to all ages with no pre-screening or appointment required. Participants should wear a mask, and bring their photo identification and insurance card (if insured).
Emergency Rental Assistance Program Still Available For Escambia County Residents
January 6, 2022
Escambia County residents struggling to pay rent and utilities due to COVID-19 can still apply for help from the Escambia County Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP).
The application portal is now open and available clicking or tapping here. Call (850) 403-6044 to make an appointment for in-person assistance, or see a list of libraries below.
Emergency rental assistance may be provided to eligible low-income Escambia County residents and families who:
- Have been financially impacted by COVID-19;
- Have total household income at or below 80% Area Median Income;
- Are at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability; and
- Have not received any other rental assistance for the requested months
Both the renter and the landlord must submit an application through the portal. Reimbursement will be paid directly to the landlord or utility provider. View eligibility requirements and see if you qualify here.
The program can cover up to 12 months of overdue or late rent and utility bills for households in Escambia County. Additional details for rental assistance for landlords and renters can be found at MyEscambia.com/erap.
Escambia County has received the following allocations:
- $9,611,771 from the Consolidated Appropriations Act
- $7,605,344 from the American Rescue Plan
Escambia County ERAP Policies and Procedures are in alignment with the U.S Treasury Department’s guidelines (full policies and procedures).
Email ERAP@myescambia.zendesk.com or call (850) 403-6044 with any questions.
Citizens may use the computers at the following public libraries to complete their application:
- Century Branch Library – 7991 N. Century Blvd., Century
- Molino Branch Library – 6450-A Hwy. 95A, Molino
- Tryon Branch Library – 1200 Langley Ave., Pensacola
- Genealogy Branch Library – 5740 N. Ninth Ave., Pensacola
- Pensacola Library – 239 N. Spring St., Pensacola
- Southwest Branch Library – 12248 Gulf Beach Highway, Pensacola
- Westside Branch Library – 1301 W. Gregory St., Pensacola
Molino Man Charged With Flomaton Christmas Day Burglary
January 6, 2022
A Molino man suspected of a Christmas Day burglary in Flomaton has been arrested in Alabama.
Richard Allen Newcomer, 39, was charged with third degree burglary by the Flomaton Police Department.
The suspect, identified by FPD as Newcomer, is seen in a surveillance video backing up a car to an open garage door, entering the structure and checking two large boxes, including a Vizio television box. Both boxes appear empty. The suspect then wanders around the mostly empty garage area.
Newcomer was booked into the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center in Brewton. According to jail records, he remained in jail Thursday without bond.
Images courtesy Flomaton Police Department for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Angela Avery Is Ransom Middle School’s Teacher Of The Year
January 6, 2022
Angela Avery has been named the Ransom Middle School Teacher of the Year. She is an English/Language Arts instructor at Ransom. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Cold, Low In The 30s Tonight
January 6, 2022
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 33. North wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 52. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 35. East wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 63. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. High near 72. South wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Sunday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before midnight, then a chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 48. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 58. North wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 34.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 54.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 33.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 59.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 41.
Thursday: A slight chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 62.
Molino Man Threatened To Kill Woman With Knife, Threw Sink At Vehicle: ECSO Says
January 5, 2022
A Molino man allegedly threatened to kill a woman and threw a sink at a vehicle, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Albert Shawn Fillingim, 51, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Fillingim allegedly threatened a female while holding a knife in his hand at her place of employment just after she was dropped off by a friend. She said he attempted to stab a tire of the friend’s vehicle as it pulled away, and he made several threats to kill her, according to an arrest report.
The report states Fillingim was caught on video as he threw a metal sink at the departing vehicle, with the sink striking the top of the vehicle before sliding down the front.
Fillingim remained in the Escambia County Jail Wednesday with bond set at $50,000.
Becoming Cloudy Tonight, Chance Of Rain By Thursday
January 5, 2022
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49. Calm wind.
Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly before 3pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 70. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 34. North wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 53. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 37. East wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 65. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. Southeast wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Sunday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. Southeast wind around 10 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Sunday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before midnight, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 48. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 58.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 34.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 52.
Drive-thru COVID-19 Testing Available From Sacred Heart, Community Health
January 5, 2022
Drive-thru COVID-19 testing is available through Friday from Ascension Medical Group Sacred Heart, and on Thursday only from Community Health Northwest Florida.
Ascension Sacred Heart (Wednesday-Friday)
The Ascension Sacred Heart drive-thru will be open through Friday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at 5192 Bayou Boulevard. No pre-registration or appointment is needed. The testing site will offer the traditional PCR swab test that will be sent to the hospital laboratory at Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola. Lab results will be available in 24 hours.
Ascension Medical Group will bill a patient’s insurance (if insured), but the service will be provided with no out-of-pocket charges for the test. Those seeking a test should bring a valid form of identification and insurance card.
Decisions about Ascension Sacred Heart’s testing beyond this week have not been made yet.
Community Health (Thursday only)
Community Health Northwest Florida, in partnership with Escambia County, will offer drive-thru COVID-19 testing Thursday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Brownsville Community Center, 3200 West Desoto Street. The PCR test will be available; no rapid tests.
The event is open to all ages with no pre-screening or appointment required. Participants should wear a mask, and bring their photo identification and insurance card (if insured).
Northview High Names Students Of The Month
January 5, 2022
Northview High School has named Moses Delarosa and Gloria Decker as their December Students of the Month. Delarosa (left) and Decker are pictured with Principal Michael Sherrill. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.