New EMS building under construction
Groundbreaking set for Monday
An expanded home for Dublin EMS is underway as an old building is repurposed and a new building is completed.
The city is taking the current building that houses the ambulances, stripping the metal from it, taking it down to the metal “bones” and renovating it to make a new home with much wider doors for Dublin EMS ambulances.
“The doors really needed enlarging,” Dublin EMS Director John Tadlock said. The ambulances would barely fit inside the building. Since the vehicles feature a climate-controlled feature to keep the part of the ambulance for patients either cold or warm, depending on the weather, it is important for them to stay plugged in. The old building would not support having more than one vehicle plugged in at a time.
“We have a new transformer to help us with that along with new LED lights,” Tadlock said.
The exterior of the building will be re-skinned and feature extended overhangs for both ambulances and Dublin police cars to protect them from the weather when they are outdoors.
“Our crews take the ambulances out at the beginning of shift to check them out and the overhang will allow them to be covered in the elements,” he said.
An extension of the awning will provide additional covered parking for Dublin PD squad cars to protect them from the elements.
The city recently tore down an old building next to the EMS ambulance building to allow for the new construction of an EMS station.
With the new building and the renovation, EMS will have a new 2,200 sq. ft. home that is hoped to draw more EMS/paramedics to want to work in Dublin.
“It’s something they’ve deserved for a long time,” Tadlock said. “We have long out lived the old space.”
Tadlock explained that the current schedule for Dublin EMS is 48 hours on shift with 96 hours off, meaning they complete overnights – currently in a rehabbed old FEMA trailer.
Despite being competitive with pay in the area and having nice ambulances, Tadlock admits it’s difficult to draw in people without an EMS station.
The acquirement of ARPA funds aided in the quicker construction of the $770,000 project that will give EMS a new home, one that they are all extremely proud of and excited about. Covington Construction will be completing the project for the city.
“They are choosing the paint colors and details for the inside,” he said. “We wanted it to be theirs.”
The new station will feature four bedrooms, each with three lockers for A,B,C shift so they can keep personal items such as changes of clothing or bedding inside without having to cart it back and forth for shifts. Currently, Dublin EMS runs three shifts total – one each for 24 hours, with a paramedic/EMS and a single ambulance.
This will allow the city to expand as an additional ambulance and crews will one day be needed for Dublin.
“It also allows our EMS training for field training to stay over and spend an entire shift,” he said.
The new building will also have a kitchen, a day room, a computer area, a laundry room, an office for the EMS director, a lobby and a public restroom as well as restroom/showers for crews.
One aspect that Tadlock and crews are extremely excited about is a call alert system—an overhead speaker and light system that will alert crews to calls.
“Currently we have to have a portable radio with us everywhere we go inside the station,” he said. “It definitely will be an improvement.”
A groundbreaking ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 23 at the location behind city hall.
Everyone is invited to attend, city officials said.