Paramedic Mike Chustz lives in West Baton Rouge Parish, and for 28 years his career in emergency medical services meant he had to commute across the river for work because the parish didn鈥檛 have its own ambulances.
Now, his trip to work is shorter, as are the emergency response times in West Baton Rouge. This month, the parish launched a local ambulance service, with Chustz at the helm as chief of EMS, to ensure patients who need urgent medical attention get it faster.
鈥淭hey don鈥檛 have long before they die if they stop breathing,鈥� Chustz said. 鈥淪o, we鈥檙e trying to get that intervention in there as quick as we can.鈥�
Before the service started, parish residents relied on the West Baton Rouge Fire Department, ambulances from neighboring parishes or the privately owned Acadian Ambulance Service to answer emergency calls.
The parish鈥檚 response times were too long, sometimes approaching 40 minutes, Chustz said. The current provider was doing the best it could, he added, but West Baton Rouge needed its own ambulances stationed strategically across the parish.
A difference in minutes can improve or diminish the chances of survival. Delivering a patient to a trauma center within an hour after injury, called the , is critical.
鈥淭here are a lot of times we go on car accidents and people are not significantly injured, which is great, but in a true emergency, time is very, very important,鈥� Chustz said.
Ambulance operations will not increase local taxes. The West Baton Rouge Fire Department and the Parish Council secured grants totaling $950,000 for the initial cost of four ambulances and equipment, such as CPR devices and stretchers.
The service will bill patients鈥� insurance. Baton Rouge General and Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center will receive the majority of patients, Chustz said.
Saving time and lives
The ambulances will be staffed by firefighters cross-trained as EMTs, as well as dedicated EMTs and paramedics. The fire department is hiring for all of these positions.
The additional responders will make it possible for the department to operate three full-time ambulances around the parish. Currently, one ambulance is operating. Chustz expects the second ambulance to begin serving residents in the next few weeks, with the third following soon after.
鈥淚 know most of the people we鈥檙e hiring,鈥� Chustz said. 鈥淭hey all have experience, and they鈥檙e all good medics, so I think we鈥檙e going to have a great service when we get it going.鈥�
Local ambulances will reduce response times to 10 minutes or less, according to the West Baton Rouge newsletter. Previously, traffic and trains contributed to high response times, but the new ambulances will be stationed so that the Erwinville, Port Allen and Brusly/Addis areas have reliable access to EMS 24 hours a day.
Chustz said it is the first opportunity in nearly three decades of his career to work where he lives. He came out of retirement last November to lead the program.
鈥淚鈥檝e been an EMS for a long time; I鈥檝e worked in just about every facet of EMS,鈥� Chustz said. 鈥淚f somebody was going to start an EMS service in West Baton Rouge Parish where I live, I wanted to be a part of it.鈥�