Stillwater NewsPress

Local News

April 21, 2011

LifeNet gets ready to take over Stillwater's ambulance service

By Ricky O'Bannon robannon@stwnewspress.com

STILLWATER, Okla. — Operations Manager Kelly McCauley told Western Payne County Ambulance Trust Authority board members that LifeNet is on track to begin ambulance runs within two weeks.

LifeNet is scheduled to take over ambulance service responsibilities from Stillwater Fire Department for the WPCATA service area May 1.

McCauley said the tentative plan is to take two of Stillwater Fire’s six ambulances April 28. LifeNet would then prepare those vehicles for state inspection on April 29.

LifeNet plans to run three 24-hour ambulance shifts while a fourth covers peak times from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. While waiting for Stillwater’s other four ambulances to be switched over, McCauley told the board that LifeNet is bringing in three others to have five ambulances to cover the first few weeks.

McCauley also told the board that two of the three ambulance station sites had been selected. The first will be located on State Highway 51 and Country Club Road behind the Conoco gas station. The second is at Lakeview and Boomer roads. It will be housed in the former Johnson’s Car Credit building and will serve as LifeNet’s local headquarters.

McCauley said he is looking into a third location south of Stillwater that would possibly be within Perkins city limits.

McCauley also said new LifeNet employees are in their third week of a month-long orientation.

LifeNet hired a number of paramedics and EMTs to run the service. McCauley said that they had several “seasoned veterans” among the paramedics.

Board members of the WPCATA signed a memorandum of understanding with Stillwater to transfer equipment to LifeNet. The city will transfer six ambulances and other medical equipment for LifeNet to use while providing ambulance service. Board members added a clause to the lease to ensure that the equipment could not be used outside Payne County without the trust’s permission.

When the equipment meets its expected useful life span, LifeNet will sell the equipment and transfer the money back to the trust.

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