KFDA - NewsChannel 10 / Amarillo News, Weather, SportsParamedic shortage in McLean

Paramedic shortage in McLean

McLean, Texas----Residents of McLean say when they dial 9-1-1 for help, they are not receiving the immediate service they need.

For the past several months, McLean's two available ambulances have not been running.

There are no volunteers qualified to work as paramedics to serve the community.

In the mean time, Pampa, Lefors and Groom are among some of the towns who will now be offering their services.

Gray County commissioners recently made the decision to provide compensation to volunteer medical services making runs into McLean.

"We've agreed that anytime when Lefors or Groom or someone else covers I-40, which was originally covered by McLean, we the county have an ambulance fund that we will pay them $300 a run in those areas," Gray County Judge Richard Peet said. "Now inside the city, the city of McLean is working with lefors privately for inside the city."

This will continue until ambulance services in McLean can get back up and running.

The ambulance committee is currently holding an EMT class with nine people in training.

Once there are qualified paramedics, the city can reapply for their ambulance service license.

They expect this to happen sometime between March and April.