Another example of the EMS staffing crisis effecting all provider types, including fire departments.
Public officials and EMS leaders should carefully evaluate evidence-based options for managing EMS system delivery such as staggered deployment based on response volume, tiered deployment(BLS and ALS ambulances), Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) to prioritize responses based on acuity level and alternate responses such as 1st response units only for low-acuity calls.
Tip of the hat to Rodney Dyche, one of the contributors to EMSIntel.org, for sharing this article
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City confirms ambulance shortage during fatal Landis Drive incident
By Tessa Noble,
Staff writer
April 17, 2025
https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/ambulance-shortage-confirmed-landis-dr-fatality-20279723.php
City officials have confirmed that no ambulances were available when a pedestrian was hit fatally hit by a car on April 9. However, had a unit been available, they don't believe the outcome would have changed.
Trey Guillory was hit by a car in the 8600 block of Landis Drive but was not taken to a hospital until about 45 minutes after the call came in. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Since the incident, community members have expressed concern about the availability of ambulances in the city.
Ward II Council member Mike Getz recently took to social media to share more information about the issue, prompting an in-depth conversation in the comments.
“All of the city EMS units were tied up on other calls and not immediately available to transport this man, but a senior paramedic arrived on the scene within minutes and immediately began lifesaving efforts,” Getz said.
Records also confirm this. The Enterprise requested records showing when EMS department had reached "level zero" any time from April 3 to April 10." Level zero is the formal name for a lack of available ambulances. In response, the Enterprise received a list of 9-1-1 calls, including the call in question.
RELATED: City EMS response time questioned after pedestrian death on Landis Dr.
According to International Association of Firefighters Local 399 President Jeff Nesom, it took 30 minutes for an ambulance to arrive due to the “level zero” status. Getz stated in a Facebook post that even though units were tied up, the patient couldn’t have been moved faster.
“When a person sustains the type of injuries as in this case, you don't just scoop them up, load them in an ambulance and rush them off to the hospital. You immediately begin life-saving efforts at the scene and try to stabilize their condition,” Getz said. “That is what happened in this case. In fact, when the EMS unit did arrive, the paramedic was still working to stabilize the citizen, and it was a few minutes before the paramedic declared he was stable for transport.”
City spokesperson Tracy Kennick said Guillory was taken to the hospital within 45 minutes of the first 9-1-1 call.
Even with the additional information, Joey Hilliard, who is running against Getz for the Ward II seat, said on social media that the city failed its citizens.
“There is no excuse for the failures of current city management,” Hilliard stated. “Enough is enough.
Citizens and families like the man lost last night deserve better. Taxpayers are tired of 'level zero' service from bad politicians at City Hall and the Beaumont Fire Department fire chief.”
Nesom said the ambulance was due to a lack of staffing. The department is around 30 firefighters short and only running eight ambulances despite being licensed for nine. This number was increased in 2023 from five ambulances.
Some people in the comments of posts by Getz and the union expressed a belief that the department needs more than eight ambulances running at one time. Ward I Candidate Cory Crenshaw said they need more than two ambulances assigned to the West End of Beaumont. One citizen, Deborah Markham Rice, commented on Getz’s post that the city needs two more additional units.
RELATED: New software for Beaumont dispatch aims to streamline emergency response
When asked by Getz how many ambulances were needed, the union responded by saying, “Enough to be able to respond when citizens need our help.”
Robie Morris commented on the Union’s post, saying the city needs 17 ambulances.
“To be on par with the rest of the nation regarding the amount of times those med units spend only running calls (not to include daily unit inventory, supply inventory, monthly expirations which take hours, charting as many as three cardiac arrest reports that take 1-2 hours each, etc.) the city needs seventeen.”
The department also has a policy that allows them to transport a patient in a fire truck when no ambulances are available but a patient needs immediate transport. However, Nesom said this isn’t safe.
“You can't transport a patient that is that critical in the back of a fire truck; there's no way to secure a patient back there,” Nesom said. “There's no way to provide continuous care to a patient in the back of a fire truck, and his policy that he has on that is absurd.”
One citizen commented on Getz's post, agreeing that patients should be stabilized before transport.
“The level zero status explains the delay in response,” said Courtney Thompson. “It seems the patient was getting treatment until then by appropriate staff, so an immediate response by an EMS box doesn't mean you immediately transport to the ER. The patient has to be stabilized first. You can add more trucks, but who is going to staff it if they can't even staff what they have now?”
She also stated that another part of the issue must address the abuse of the 9-1-1 system for non-emergency calls.
“The entitlement of the public is atrocious,” Thompson said. “EMS isn't a taxi service, but they are treated as such. … There are some cities that are addressing the frequent flyer abuse, and I think Beaumont should consider the same.”
The city is working to implement two programs to target this issue, including the Good Sam software and partnering with RightSite Telehealth.
