New Escambia EMS Strategy Aims to Enhance North Escambia Response Times

February 24, 2025

Currently, North Escambia EMS crews report to work at the Walnut Hill Fire Station or EMS “Post 50″ on Industrial Boulevard in Century. But that will soon change.

“The intent is not taking ambulances from up there,” Escambia EMS Director Chris Watts said. “The only change is going to be where they’re physically deployed out of…there’s some limitations with having the crews report directly to Century and Walnut Hill to start their day.”

Under the new plan, EMS crews that will work in the northern part of Escambia County will report to work at the main EMS headquarters on W Street and then drive an ambulance north to either Century or Walnut Hill.

“Some of the issues that we’ve run into is when you have people call out sick or can’t get to work,” Watts said, citing January’s ice and snow as an example. There are also situations, he said, when a crew could currently arrive to work Century or Walnut Hill to find that there’s no ambulance because it’s on a transport to Pensacola. If that same crew had reported to Post 10, they would have had an ambulance to take north.

Expansion of EMS Services in North Escambia

Upcoming changes also include plans for a third North Escambia ambulance that will station in McDavid or Molino. “Probably Molino just, so it’s a little bit further south, which provides a little bit better coverage for the North End of the county, especially where we’re starting to get more and more development as we, you know, move north of Cantonment.”

Watts is quick to admit that a crew destined for Walnut Hill, Century or Molino might come on duty at W Street and then get dispatched to an urgent call elsewhere in Pensacola.

“If that is the case, the intent is that the night shift hasn’t gone home yet and they’re still in the north end,” Watts said, explaining that start times for northern crews will be staggered. “So, you are still not eliminating coverage. It’s not like we are going to abandon (the north end) and bring everybody back to Post 10 off W Street and then deploy resources….After they get up there, then we can bring the night crews down.”

New Partnership with Newman’s Ambulance Service

In addition, Escambia County has a new agreement in place with Newman’s Ambulance Services, the oldest privately owned ambulance company in Alabama and the second oldest privately owned service in the United States.

Newmans’ Ambulances units are now staging at the Flomaton Fire Station, just across the line from Century. Watts said they have agreed to accept Florida calls when a Century or Walnut Hill unit is unavailable.

Watts said he is confident that EMS response will improve in North Escambia. He said the new plan and schedule will be evaluated once it goes into effect in March, and he will make adjustments, if needed, to address any problems that arise.

Pictured: Escambia County EMS ambulance on scene at calls in North Escambia. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

8 Responses to “New Escambia EMS Strategy Aims to Enhance North Escambia Response Times”

  1. The more things change, the more they stay the same on February 25th, 2025 11:56 am

    50 to 60 years ago the townsfolk and business leaders in Century would say that the county officials treated the northend like “redheaded stepchildren.” It seems that nothing has changed. Let them come live in our hometown area and see if they like the idea of an ambulance being an hour away when their loved one has a heart attack, medical emergency or some sort of accident.

  2. Ben Davis on February 25th, 2025 7:16 am

    As somebody who had a major heart attack in Walnut Hill with no ambulance there that day, this is not going to help! Once again the north end does not receive the same service as the rest of the county.

  3. Medic on February 24th, 2025 9:51 pm

    Century has always had a day truck and a night truck assigned to it. Mr. Watts has never worked in a county ambulance and had to go from Ensley to Century. Plus it is a waste of fuel unnecessary maintenance on the new trucks that will cost the county more money. Commissioner Berry thanks this is a great idea.

  4. Richard on February 24th, 2025 9:50 pm

    This will not be good for the north end. They should give us a weekly report of all north end response times. They used to keep two units at post 50. This will only help the south end.

  5. Jim on February 24th, 2025 7:05 pm

    The north end of the county is getting a very poor deal again. If you need an ambulance after this starts, be sure to call an hour ahead and reserve an ambulance if you are in the north end of the county that’s how long it will take one to get here. When I worked for the county, the majority of people would tell me, oh, Century and Walnut Hill is only 10 or 15 minutes from 9 Mile Road. I bet Mr. Watts has no idea how long it will take an ambulance to get from W street to the north end of the county, try an hour or so Mr. Watts, that is if it doesn’t get sidetracked to a Pensacola call, then who knows. That is a long and, in this case, unnecessary wait for someone having a medical issue.

  6. Let me think this thru on February 24th, 2025 5:49 pm

    This is about the most asinine plan ever. This will add at least 2hrs to the crews day. It’s easier to have a 2nd unit already staged st Post 50. They can rotate ambulances and/or have a stby in case of a vehicle malfunction. Crews will not be happy about this. I may be wrong but this seems like a knee-jerk reaction. Oh, wait. Modus operandi…

  7. William on February 24th, 2025 1:26 pm

    “Rather than pulling the unit from the walnut fire station. ”

    It does not say they are going to pull the unit, just being it up from Pcola

  8. Richard on February 24th, 2025 1:19 pm

    Rather than pulling the unit from the walnut fire station. Place a reserve unit there, so that the reporting crew will have a unit to man if the stationed unit is out on a call.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News