NEW ALBANY, Ind. (WDRB) -- When the alarm sounds in the New Chapel Fire and EMS station, EMTs and paramedics jump in an ambulance to respond as quickly as possible.
For New Chapel EMS, average response time is around nine minutes. But that could get longer if staffing issues aren't solved.
"There's currently a shortage of providers on the ambulance, both at a basic and advanced level," Division Chief Matt Owen said.
The nation is facing a shortage of emergency service personnel on ambulances. For most services, the pandemic caused a loss of revenue, among other factors.
"It's definitely a challenge," Owen said. "Every day is a new day. We're always looking for help. We're always asking people, 'Hey, do you want to pick up another shift?' And thankfully, we've got some pretty dedicated people to their community and the service they provide. They make it happen every day."
For New Chapel EMS, there are just under 100 people to service all of Clark and Floyd counties, minus New Albany. New Chapel EMs is the only service for the two counties, other than AMR, the ambulance company that covers New Albany.
Sometimes, New Chapel responds to 120 calls a day. Owen said it's a challenge when manpower is low.
"We feel that here in southern Indiana, we're doing the best we can to mitigate that," he said.
Despite the nine-minute average response time, officials said that could change with bigger staffing problems.
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