Tim Smith Says Egos, Agendas Need To Be Set Aside To Solve West Carlisle-UMC EMS Controversy [INTERVIEW]

Thursday on The Chad Hasty Show, Tim Smith, Chief of the West Carlisle Fire/EMS department joined Chad in the KFYO studio to discuss the continuing controversy over Emergency Medical Service for citizens in outlying areas in and near the city of Lubbock.

Smith summarized the situation and discussed details of the conflict viewed from both sides of the issue, attempting to better inform taxpayers of the problem areas and what they may expect in the future.

When Hasty asked Smith from where the decision-making came to remove Carlisle EMS from responding to some emergencies, when they may often be closer than University Medical Center ambulances, Smith replied

I believe that [decision] lies solely on the administration of UMC EMS. The City of Lubbock put forth the standards, made UMC EMS the preferred provider inside the city. So [UMC] took it upon themselves to say, "We're going to run all those calls. Unless we're busy, then we're going to need you to run those calls.

Smith, explaining his department's stance and priorities in the matter, said, "At the end of the day, what we want to happen is to make sure that the citizen, the taxpayer, the patient is taken care of. Ultimately that's our end-goal."

Smith continued detailing the priority and response times required of ambulance and EMS crews, and said, "We're advocating for them to send the closest truck, regardless of where the green city limits sign is."

Hasty asked Smith if he believes that UMC and Lubbock County are still open to a positive resolution for all concerned. Smith responded saying,

I do believe that UMC will eventually will sit down and visit with us to find out how we can [provide the best service]. We're going to have to put titles, egos, political agendas aside, and make sure that we're dealing with the common core issue, and that's the care of the patient.

Hasty also questioned Smith on the reaction of Lubbock County commissioners, and whether he views them to be concerned in the matter. Smith replied,

I believe that they have a little more authority than they're letting on to tell you the truth. I hope that they exercise some of that authority and stand up for their constituents.  We had notified the commissioners that, 18 months ago, this was probably going to be an issue.

Listen to the entire interview with Tim Smith in the video above.

Visit the West Carlisle Fire/EMS Facebook page to stay up to date on this issue.

The Chad Hasty Show airs weekday mornings live, from 8:30 AM to 11:00 AM on News/Talk 95.1 FM and 790 AM KFYO, online at KFYO.com, and on the free RadioPup app. Follow Chad on Twitter via @ChadHastyRadio & KFYO Radio at @KFYO!