KINGSTON, Tenn. (WOKI / WVLT)— Some Roane County residents are raising concerns about ambulance response times, questioning whether emergency services are keeping pace with the county’s growth.
Debra Barkley says her family experienced a long wait for help following a moped crash involving her son, Aaron, in May 2020. Barkley says she was told by a dispatcher that no ambulances were immediately available in the county when she called 911.
She says it took approximately 40 to 45 minutes for an ambulance to arrive after the crash, with a unit eventually responding from a neighboring county.
Barkley said her son struggled to breathe while waiting for help. He was later transported to UT Medical Center, where he was treated and ultimately left paralyzed from injuries affecting his C-5 and C-6 vertebrae.
She says sharing her family’s experience is about raising awareness.
“If it can help another Aaron, that’s my whole purpose for this,” Barkley said.
County Officials Respond
Roane County Emergency Services Director Tim Suter says while delays can occur, the department tracks response times and reviews outliers. He says the national rural response standard is around 14 minutes, and Roane County averages roughly 12.5 minutes.
Suter says the county staffs four advanced life support ambulances 24/7 and can deploy additional units when needed, including a fifth truck during peak daytime hours. The county owns eight ambulances total.
He emphasized that mutual aid agreements with surrounding counties help ensure that calls are answered, even if local units are tied up.
“I don’t want people to think that they’re going to call for an ambulance and it’s just not going to come. That’s not reality,” Suter said.
Contributing Factors
Suter says several factors can impact response times, including:
- Hospital delays, where crews may wait with patients for extended periods before transfer
- Non-emergency transports, which can temporarily reduce availability
- Heavy interstate traffic, especially crashes along I-40 that reroute traffic through Kingston
He notes that hospital offload times can sometimes range from one hour to as long as five or six hours, keeping ambulances out of service.
Growth Adds Pressure
Barkley also believes population growth is playing a role, noting new housing development in her area and an increase in people moving into the county.
She says non-emergency ambulance use for medical appointments may also contribute to longer wait times for emergencies.
Officials say they continue to monitor call volume, staffing levels, and response data to maintain service levels as demand increases.
The discussion highlights the ongoing challenges rural and growing communities face in balancing emergency response demands with available resources.
