HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Fire Chief Steve Futrell presented accomplishments and statistics that occurred over the first three months of the year in the Hopkinsville Fire/EMS Department.
He told members of the Committee of the Whole that during their first quarter, HFD received 970 calls for service. 11 of those calls were for residential fires. They also responded to 26 motor vehicle injury accidents. On the flip side, EMS received 2,600 calls for service.
While ambulances are responding every hour of the day, their busiest time period still takes place overnights. “There’s never a time where we don’t have an ambulance on the road,” said Futrell.
In regard to code enforcement, seven unsafe structures were demolished in the first quarter around the city of Hopkinsville, and a vacant home on East Ninth Street was also torn down in the past week. Over a span of five years, residents had called law enforcement, EMS, or code enforcement about this specific structure a total of 611 times.
Paramedic training success
Financially, the EMS department has made drastic improvements. Futrell confirmed they paid the back the $500,000 they were previously loaned after a major breach with their billing company. On top of this, they currently have $1.6 million in the bank and currently operate at revenue above expenses.
Part of the renewed success of Hopkinsville EMS is attributed to their state-of-the-art paramedic training program that is attracting potential paramedics from across the country. These classes are providing revenue for the department while also combating the paramedic shortage crisis.
“It’s going to change the way paramedics are taught across the nation,” said Futrell. “It’s attributed to the people that are teaching it, they are just unbelievable. they make it work because they are such good instructors.” He added that Hopkinsville has the highest pass rate in the state.
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