Emergency Management Services

P.O. Box 632
Greenwood , SC 29648

Phone: 864.942.8683
Fax: 864.942.8791

Monday - Friday 8:30AM - 5:00PM

Greenwood County Ambulance Service Mission Statement

Greenwood County Ambulance Service is committed to being a leader in emergency medical services and to providing our community with excellent pre-hospital and out of hospital care by

• Valuing our staff, patients and clients.
• Maintaining and promoting the highest standards of our profession.
• Supporting illness and accident prevention.
• Managing our resources effectively.
• Working collaboratively with our peers in health care and emergency services.

Vision

Greenwood County Ambulance Service strives to meet the changing needs of the community for pre-hospital and out of hospital care and believes that by the timely application of the advances of both the art and science of medicine to the practice of emergency medical services, we can decrease suffering, improve the health of the community and save lives.

History

Greenwood County EMS was formed through a joint City and County effort, and began operation on July 1, 1975 at the Greenwood City Fire Department. The service began operation with one EMT-Paramedic and seven EMT-Basics. On Oct. 1, 1981, the County assumed total control of the EMS operations, placing ambulances in three critical locations. An ambulance was placed in Ware Shoals, Ninety Six, and at the County Courthouse in Greenwood.

Today we have four ambulances and three Quick Responce Vehicles(QRV). One ambulance stationed on Hwy. 25 North between Hodges and Ware Shoals (M-50), one stationed in Ninety Six on Hwy. 246 (M-40), one stationed on Hwy. 25 South (M-30), one stationed on Hwy. 72 West (M-20). The QRV's are stationed at Coronaca (R-2), Promised Land (R-3), Callison (R-4). We also have a transport team (M-60). We cover an area of 462.95 square miles, with a population in excess of 67,503 people. (2003 census)

Our typical call volume for one month is approximately 800 calls, with an average response time of less than ten minutes. For information about the service or if you are interested in being apart of the Emergency Medical Service, please call (864) 942-8603.

In Case Of Emergency

If you have a cell phone, make an entry in your contacts list labeled "ICE" (In Case of Emergency). Under the "ICE" listing provide a contact number of someone that you want notified in case of an emergency. Keep in mind that you should discuss this with them prior to entering this information into your phone so they understand that they may receive such a call. Make sure that the person that you list as your "ICE" has your medical information.

In the event you have an emergency; when you are unable speak due to your injuries or sickness and you have on your cell phone, maybe paramedics, police or fire department personnel may be able to retrieve the ICE (contact) number and get more information about you or will be able to notify someone during your time of need.

You may consider more than one "ICE" number to store in your phone and list them as "ICE 1" and "ICE 2". If you have space to enter the contact's name in a notes or more information section, this will allow the responder to know who they are calling.

Pass along the word. This could be a call that could save your life, a way of gathering vital information or to provide a way for emergency workers to notify someone in your time of need.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What type of services do you offer?
A: Greenwood County EMS is a licensed Advanced Life Support service. We respond to all calls within the county, including 911responses, non-emergency transports to doctor's offices, nursing homes, etc. We also provide inter-facility transports from one hospital to another if your physician decides you need services not available at the initial location.

Q: Do you charge for these services?
A: Yes, even though we are a county department and operate with county tax dollars, there is a user fee that is imposed each time an ambulance is used. These fees are set by county council and are reviewed and updated regularly.

Q: How much does ambulance service cost?
A: The cost depends on the level of service. These levels vary depending on the patient's complaint and what supplies/procedures are needed.

Q: How can I become an Emergency Medical Technician?
A: The first step is to attend and complete an EMT class at one of the local technical schools. Piedmont Tech offers this course. The Basic EMT course is approximately six months (150 hours) in duration. This depends on the number of days per week a class is offered. You must have a high school diploma or GED and a clear criminal record to attend this class. After obtaining the Basic EMT certification, a candidate must be affiliate with a licensed service in South Carolina to upgrade to one of the next levels (EMT-Intermediate or Paramedic). The EMT-Intermediate curriculum is approximately 10 weeks or 2 ½ (65 hours) months depending on class dates. The Paramedic curriculum is approximately 1 ½ years (1000 hours).

Q: Where are the EMS stations located in the county?
A: There are 7 substations in Greenwood County. The stations locations are:

Medic 20 (Greenwood area) 2028 Hwy 72 West Greenwood
Medic 30/60 (Greenwood area) 2814 Hwy 25 South Greenwood
Medic 40 (Ninety Six area) 3316 Hwy 246 South Ninety- Six
Medic 50 (Hodge area) 6502 Hwy 25 North Hodge
Rescue 2 (Coronaca area) 1418 Hwy 246 South Greenwood
Rescue 3 (Promise Land)
Rescue 4 (Callison) 3809 McCormick Hwy Bradley
There is one non-emergency unit is also located in the Medic 30 station Monday trough Friday (7-5).

Q: Who do I call if I have a question about my bill?
A: The Greenwood County Billing Office is Located on the 1st floor of the Greenwood County Courthouse. You may call our Billing office at 864.942.8633 or 864.942.8668.

Q: Who should I contact if I have questions not related to billing?
A: The main office is located in the Greenwood County Courthouse at 528 Monument St B-24, Greenwood, SC. The number is 864.942.8603

Q: Which hospitals do you transport patients to?
A: We normally transport patients to Self Regional HealthCare. In certain circumstances (if injuries are severe enough), we may have the patient flown by helicopter to a Level One Trauma Center. This service is usually provided by Med Trans, Regional One, CareForce or Life Reach and Air Med.

Q: Is there a charge if the ambulance responds, but does not transport?
A: In some cases, Yes. If the crew provides an exam or any treatment while at the scene, there may be a treatment/no transport charge.

Q: What should I do when approached by an emergency vehicle?
A: South Carolina law requires motorists to yield the right of way to emergency vehicles who are traveling with lights and siren activated. The correct procedure is to pull to the right side of the road and come to a complete stop until the emergency vehicle has passed. Motorists heading toward the ambulance should also pull to the right side of the road and come to a stop. Both lanes of travel are required to stop for the ambulance so long as a divided median is not present. If you are stopped at an intersection with a traffic light, you should remain in your lane of travel so long as the ambulance has an open lane to go around. Remember pull to the RIGHT.

Q: Someone I know had a heart attack and the family had to do CPR. The ambulance stayed at the house a long time. Shouldn't the paramedics have transported him right away to the hospital?
A: Certain emergencies require advanced treatment on-scene before transport can be initiated. For example, during cardiac arrests (where a person's heart stops), the paramedics must establish a secure airway and attempt to convert the patient's heart back to normal before beginning to transport the patient to the hospital. IV's usually are started on-scene of cardiac arrests because vital life saving medication are more effective when given through the vein.. Paramedics are capable of providing the same initial treatment for cardiac arrest patients in the ambulance as you might see done first thing in the emergency department. The time delay of providing treatment on-scene sometimes is warranted by the benefits gained from early treatment.

Q: What's the difference between an EMT, Intermediate, and Paramedic?
A: Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT's) are trained in patient assessment and treatment at a basic level. An EMT may administer Oxygen, use an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED), stabilize a potential spinal injury patients on a backboard, splint fractures and bandage wounds, do definitive airway interventions, Intubation, Monitor vital signs, and perform on-going assessment of a patient's condition.

An EMT-Intermediate attends more training, and can do all the skills of an EMT, but can also initiate Intra-venous (IV) lines for fluid resuscitation. Intermediates can also perform even more advanced airway methods than an EMT.

Paramedics attend approximately 1 ½ years of training, and are capable of many additional skills. A Paramedic may perform the same interventions as the EMT-B, and EMT-I and also analyze, interpret, and treat various heart rhythms, give appropriate medications with pre-arranged (standing orders), treat critical trauma patients with advanced maneuvers such as chest decompression for a collapsed lung, establish advanced IV lines, as well as Intra-osseous line, which are specific to pediatrics and go into the bone marrow, and provide as an invaluable liaison to the hospital emergency room. Paramedics are now trained in skills that were formerly reserved exclusively for the Emergency Room staff, such as 12 lead EKGs, cardio-version, and new methods of securing an airway, such as Rapid Sequence Intubation and using a new adjunct, the LMA and CPAP.

Q: I have a question that not covered here. Where can I find the answer?
A: Give us a call at the headquarters station @ 864.942.8603