CARROLL COUNTY, Tenn. — County Fire Chief Jonathan Gaskins is calling on Priority Ambulance’s corporate leadership to address what he describes as longstanding problems with staffing, equipment, and response times in Carroll County.
In a public statement ahead of Monday’s commission meeting on ambulance service, Gaskins said Carroll County’s ambulance service is operating at roughly half of its required staffing while neighboring counties are fully or nearly fully staffed.
He said Priority has offered $20,000 signing bonuses and still cannot fill positions in Carroll County.
“Why is Carroll County experiencing such a significant gap, and what needs to change for us to achieve comparable staffing?” Gaskins asked. “That is a concern that deserves a clear explanation and a plan for improvement.”
Gaskins defended the local EMTs and paramedics, saying they “have done a very good job caring for our citizens under demanding circumstances.”
He also said his concerns are not directed at Priority’s Carroll County director or West Tennessee director, both of whom are new to their positions and inherited the problems.
“In my opinion, responsibility for resolving these longstanding problems extends higher up Priority’s corporate leadership,” Gaskins said.
The chief laid out three possible paths forward: Priority makes sustained improvements, the county contracts with a different provider, or the county explores establishing its own ambulance service.
Gaskins also recognized Baptist Hospital as a valued partner and said his concerns about ambulance service are not a reflection on Baptist or its staff.
The Carroll County Commission will discuss ambulance service at its meeting Monday at 7 p.m. at the Carroll County Office Complex. First responders and EMTs have been invited to attend and speak.
Gaskins’s full statement follows:
I have hesitated to post about the ambulance-service situation in Carroll County, but with the amount of negative commentary and information being shared that I believe is inaccurate, I feel it is important to offer my perspective. These are my personal thoughts, based on my experience in fire and EMS and my concern for our citizens and the people caring for them.
I want to begin by expressing my sincere appreciation for the paramedics and EMTs who continue to serve Carroll County. They have done a very good job caring for our citizens under demanding circumstances. Their dedication, the countless hours of overtime they have worked, and the care they provide deserve recognition, and I am thankful for the local employees who continue to answer the call.
My concerns are not directed at our local EMTs and paramedics. I also do not place blame on Priority’s Carroll County director or West Tennessee director. Both are new to their positions and have inherited these ongoing challenges. They deserve the resources and support necessary to address them. In my opinion, responsibility for resolving these longstanding problems extends higher up Priority’s corporate leadership, where decisions must support dependable service and give local personnel what they need to succeed.
I also want to recognize Baptist Hospital as a valued partner in providing quality emergency medical care in Carroll County. We appreciate that partnership and look forward to continuing to work together. The concerns I am raising about ambulance service are not a reflection on Baptist Hospital, its staff, or the care they provide.
At the same time, I have serious concerns about Priority’s current ambulance service in Carroll County. In my experience working in and alongside EMS here since 2002, we have seen recurring challenges related to staffing, equipment, ambulance availability, and response times that need lasting solutions.
Our citizens deserve better, and so do the local EMTs and paramedics serving them. Residents deserve dependable ambulance coverage when they need help. Employees deserve adequate staffing, reliable equipment, and the support necessary to provide that care.
Our firefighters and first responders play an important role in helping patients while waiting for an ambulance. However, their presence does not replace the need for an ambulance crew that can provide continued treatment and transport to the hospital.
My goal is a dependable, reliable ambulance service that responds when our citizens call 911 and provides timely transports for Baptist Hospital when patients need care at another facility. We need sufficient staffing and ambulance availability to meet both needs while maintaining emergency coverage throughout Carroll County.
I recognize that emergency services nationwide face workforce shortages, and recruiting and retaining qualified personnel is challenging. But that does not fully answer an important local question. Based on the staffing information shared with me, Carroll County’s ambulance service is operating at roughly half of its required staffing, while several surrounding counties are reportedly fully staffed or have only one or two openings. Why is Carroll County experiencing such a significant gap, and what needs to change for us to achieve comparable staffing? That is a concern that deserves a clear explanation and a plan for improvement.
I do not believe compensation alone explains this staffing gap. Priority has offered $20,000 bonuses in the past and, based on information shared with me, is currently offering bonuses of that amount. Pay matters, but we also need to examine workload, schedules, equipment, working conditions, and the support employees receive. What is keeping people from joining or staying with the service in Carroll County?
We need clear service expectations, transparent reporting, and accountability. Understanding what is driving our staffing problems and how neighboring services are recruiting and retaining employees should be part of finding a lasting solution.
There are several possible paths forward. Priority could make the sustained improvements needed to meet our county’s needs. The county could consider contracting with another ambulance provider. We could also explore establishing a county-operated ambulance service. Each option deserves careful evaluation of staffing, cost, service reliability, and long-term sustainability.
My goal is to find a lasting solution that delivers dependable care for our citizens, supports our local EMS professionals, and uses county taxpayer dollars responsibly. Whatever path we choose, we must carefully evaluate both the cost and the level of service it will provide, so Carroll County can sustain it for the long term.
This affects all of us our families, our neighbors, and the people we depend on when an emergency happens. We are all in this together, and our citizens deserve to know that their concerns are being heard and taken seriously.
I am committed to working toward a lasting solution, and I believe that by working together, we can come through these challenges with stronger, more dependable EMS services for Carroll County. We owe it to our citizens and to the dedicated professionals caring for them to keep moving forward, responsibly and with a shared commitment to making things better.