I am a paramedic that works in the area of Beckley WV. I have witnessed a serious problem with our EMS system in this county. When someone calls 911, because they are having an emergency, EMS is to respond without delay. Meaning if its a heart attack and the dispatch relays communication to the medics...that the man has had two before, the unit should respond emergency lights and siren to the patient. After arriving, an evaluation should be done on the patient, then continue emergency traffic or routine traffic after evaluation is determined. My complaint happened to me as a new employee, that a call with a heart attack victim was made...I confirmed the call to dispatch, got into the truck...my partner took time, walked to the door, and told me that they were going to brush their teeth first. Then we finally got in route, and they would not run emergency traffic to this patient, this patient was 15 minutes away. There is a problem here! We get there and my partner refuses to take any gear in with them, leaving me to grab...life pack 12, o2 bottle, backboard, jump bag, and stretcher. For one...at least take a monitor, bag, and bp steth in the house. Delaying the patient of these items to help them, by going back out to the unit is not benifiting their recovery time. In this case, the patient died on us, probably to the fact of no O2 that was place on him soon enough. or the lack of patient care from my partner in the back of the ambulance, and the fact that we took such a long time to get to this helpless man! This happens 90% of the time in Beckley WV. This and many of these calls will haunt me the rest of my years! Poor laid out... Private EMS companies...(Looking for new Employment)

2. Responding to a 911 call for a woman that is not breathing. We are enroute and just 3 minutes from the seen. Our dispatcher comes across the radio, and tells us to stand down! Another ambulance will have to take this 911 call. I tell my dispatcher, NO we have already dedicated ourselves to this call. Thinking if we stand down, the next ambulance is an hour to 45 minutes away, this patient will die. Plus we are dedicated to this patient, and call..standing down will put us in abandonment and neglect. Two things my career does not need. The reason to stand down, was stated by dispatch, that we have a scheduled dialysis pick up in 20 minutes. Well our thinking was, get the other ambulances...were on scene. We save the lady, CPR, shock, and rapid ALS and transport to the hospital. . We were then suspended with no pay and ridiculed for this incident for some time afterwards. My partner blames me for their punishment. I think the punishment was worth saving this ladies life, and not getting sued for negligence.

I guess I have morals.

There are no dedicated county 911 services in this county. Meaning no standby ambulances for the people...only for profit!