Citizens of Chattooga County are talking about the idea of doing away with the Chattooga County Ambulance Service, and according to Commissioner Jason Winters, that is exactly what he wants.

Commissioner Winters has put forth the idea of privatizing the county-run ambulance service and allowing either Floyd or Redmond to take over.  The commissioner said that his mind is not made up, but he wants to look at all possibilities.  Floyd and Redmond were given a deadline of December 10 to submit proposals to the county to take over the EMS. 

Prior to Chattooga County being in the ambulance service business, local funeral homes provided ambulance service until the late 1970’s.  At that time Commissioner Pete Denson purchased two ambulances and started the Chattooga County Ambulance Service.  When the county went into the ambulance business there was a hospital in Summerville.  Now the hospital is gone and the ambulance service is forced to transport patients to Floyd County for hospital services.

AM 1180 spoke with Commissioner Winters before Thanksgiving about the upcoming meeting.  We will re-broadcast that interview coming up this afternoon at 12:45 PM following the Trading Post .  The meeting next week is scheduled for 6 PM at the Chattooga County Civic Center on Tuesday.