Habersham EMS crews will fan out across the county next month when EMS merges with the county fire department.Right now, EMS personnel and equipment are housed at 125 Robertson Loop Road near Habersham Medical Center in Demorest. Beginning in March, the county will assign units to six different locations.
According to information obtained from Habersham EMS, those locations will cover different zones in the county.
Four EMS units will remain at the Robertson Loop Road location in the central part of Habersham. Two units will relocate to the northern part of the county at Fire Station 9 in Hollywood. A spare med unit will move to Fire Station 13 on Habersham Mills Road. A 24 hour unit will be housed in the southern part of Habersham at Baldwin Fire Station 4. And another 24 hour unit will be based at Habersham Fire Station 16 on Highway 17 in the western part of the county.
The Community Paramedicine Unit will remain at its current location on the Habersham Medical Center campus.
Officials expect these strategic placements to improve emergency response times. The county will also cross-train EMS and Fire personnel to improve public safety.
A ‘Win Win’
The changes are part of a plan to merge EMS and Fire services into a unified county department. The Habersham County Commission and Hospital Authority approved the merger on February 19.
“This is an opportunity to provide improved and enhanced services to our Citizens without adding additional cost to the tax payers,” Habersham County Commission Chair Victor Anderson said when the merger was announced. “Additionally, it will allow the Hospital to expand their services and focus on their core business. This is truly a Win – Win!”
Habersham Medical Center has run EMS for nearly 44 years, since November 1, 1974.
“This is a great example of how two community stakeholders can work together to help improve our community and ultimately the lives of our citizens,” Hospital Authority Chair and County Commissioner Stacy Hall said in a news release
Chad Black will serve as the new Habersham Emergency Services Director. Fire Chief Jeff Cain will stay on as chief and serve as Assistant Emergency Services Director.
The merger takes effect March 5.
