JASPER, Texas — A month ago, efforts were in progress to improve the slow response times in Jasper and Newton counties.
It's taking ambulance services 45 minutes to an hour to get to the scenes.
Allegiance stationed more EMS trucks in the area and Acadian said they would need a contract for any additional service.
While it still is an ongoing crisis, one motorcyclist experienced the wait firsthand after getting into an accident Tuesday afternoon.
The crash happened around 5:30 p.m. on Highway 96. A motorcyclist was injured after hitting an SUV. An Acadian ambulance took approximately 40 minutes to show up, and some residents say that's unacceptable.
“The call came in around 17:34 which is around 5:34 p.m.,” said Lt. Garrett Foster with the Jasper Police Department.
“A lady said a man on the ground over there,” said Blayne Parsons.
19-year-old Parsons was working a shift at Brookshire Brothers on Tuesday when a motorcyclist crashed into an SUV.
“Kept him calm until the ambulance got there, just kept talking to him trying to keep his mind off the pain,” Parsons said.
But Jasper Police say the Acadian ambulance didn't arrive until 6:14 p.m.
“EMS was notified at approximately 5:42 p.m.,” Lt. Foster said.
It took more than 30 minutes after Acadian Ambulance was notified for their team to get to the injured man.
“We're in a much more rural area much more challenging conditions,” Beech Grove Fire Chief James Gunter said.
And that wasn't the only emergency that kept crews busy on Tuesday.
“Doing the simple math, there's 7 units available. There's 12 calls, someone's going to have to wait,” Gunter said.
Beech Grove Fire Chief James Gunter said there aren't enough ambulances to meet the need and it's influencing response times. He said it's been happening for years
“It went out yesterday, a request for proposal the city of Jasper Jasper County ESD #4 to have a soul source EMS provider with guaranteed coverage,” Gunter said.
Lucky for the injured motorcyclist, he fell into the EMT-certified hands of Parsons.
“He was complaining of leg pain in his left leg especially, and I was just making sure in his foot he was still getting blood flow into it and he was which is a good sign,” Parsons said.
The motorcyclist was visiting from out of town. He's being treated at the Jasper Memorial Hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.