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ZEBULON - Pike County Times recently conducted an interview with Larry Richardson CBO (Chief Business Officer), EVP (Executive Vice President), and Co-Founder of AmeriPro EMS to ask some questions related to service, protocol, and procedure for Pike County citizens in relation to a wreck that occurred here almost a month ago.

The April 8, 2023 wreck that resulted in two fatalities can be read at www.pikecountytimes.com/secondary/wreck4.8.23.html.

Since the accident is still under investigation by law enforcement, answers directly related to the incident could not be asked or answered. However, the information is still important to citizens as questions are being asked about the past and future when it comes to medical needs and transport.

AmeriPro EMS began serving Pike County citizens on June 10, 2022 when Veterans Medical Transport, LLC ended their contract with the county. www.pikecountytimes.com/secondary/BREAKINGNEWSameripro5.16.22.html

Richardson’s Interview

AmeriPro staffs its ambulances according to state policy which requires EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) and Paramedic training. AmeriPro also has its own training which is required for its ambulance staff after EMT and Paramedic training is complete.

AmeriPro currently provides services for Pike, Upson, and Lamar Counties. Richardson advised that Pike County has 2 ambulances 24 hours per day/7 days a week. He said that AmeriPro is working toward a regional system and that AmeriPro has really good staffing in the three counties. “We pretty much stay fully staffed a majority of the time,” he said.

When the discussion began to get more specific, Richardson gave a disclaimer for the rest of the interview. “I can answer questions about AmeriPro, but as far as regarding this incident that we both know about,” he said, “it is still under investigation by the authorities and other entities so there is not a lot I can comment on that.”

Pike County Times asked to walk through general protocol and procedures with regard for calls to diabetes (which could look like a person was drunk when it might actually be a dangerous drop in a patient’s blood sugar) and similar calls for help for a possible patient.

Richardson states that we work collectively with the fire department and law enforcement, when available, to mitigate medical emergencies.

“We do blood sugar and we have full equipment to do all of the patient assessments.” he said. “All of our ambulances supersede (go above) state safety requirements. All of our vehicles are tracked by GPS 24/7.”

When asked whether EMS can prevent a person from entering a vehicle are a danger to themselves or others. Richardson said that there is difference in the jobs between a police officer and EMS, and EMS and police officers are trained to “skillfully detain people safely without hurting them,” and EMS utilizes different methods.

Pike County Times then asked how a 911 call is handled from start to finish. Richardson gave an example from the Zebulon Square and said that this is how the process works in Upson, Lamar, and Pike Counties.

When the call comes in to 911, it goes to Pike County E911 Communications Center. Pike E911 then dispatches an ambulance and whoever else is needed on the scene. They then transfer the call to AmeriPro’s Communications Center which does the Emergency Medical Dispatching. This would give AmeriPro’s personnel the ability to talk to the person on the other end of the line and give choking instructions or whatever else is needed for care until emergency personnel can arrive.

Richardson advised that Ameripro’s Communications Team usually stays on the call until public safety personnel arrive including law enforcement, fire department, and/or ambulance personnel arrive, and then the call is ended.

Closing

Pike County Times then asked what kind of procedures are in place to ensure the safety of the public in the future as a type of blanket statement since the incident on April 8, 2023 is still under investigation with no comment from law enforcement or AmeriPro at this time.

Richardson gave an assurance that there are several layers of management looking over every call. “We quality control every single response that we have,” he said. “There are several layers of management that critique how we function all of the time.” He also said that AmeriPro always critiques its calls. “I am so impressed with the level of professionalism out of all of those counties (Pike, Lamar, and Upson), and it’s really a pleasure to be able to work alongside of them and protect all of those citizens.”

In closing, he did say the following about the wreck that brought about this interview about AmeriPro. “With this particular response, it is still under investigation,” he said.

“There is still a lot going on with it, and it’s very fluid. It’s very unfortunate, and we’re working alongside our counterparts in Pike County to make sure that we’ve done everything that we can do and that this investigation is handled appropriately.”