The Liberty Regional Emergency Medical Services recently celebrated National EMS Week with activities for their 56 employees.
The local EMS operates a fleet of eight ambulances and two first responder vehicles from two stations in Hinesville and Midway. Liberty Regional EMS is in operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, working with the Liberty County Emergency Management Agency, law enforcement agencies and fire departments.

The headquarters on South Main Street in Hinesville was built with special local option sales tax dollars, which also funds purchase of ambulances with state-of-the-art equipment.
However, the Liberty Regional EMS frequently applies for grants that are available. A recent grant paid for loaded triage bags through the Georgia Trauma Commission. Another grant for which EMS recently applied if awarded will help buy chest compression equipment.
State guidelines apply to the emergency medical services. Some counties’ EMS guidelines define where a patient may be taken. In Liberty County, patients have the choice regarding the hospital where they are taken, if the patient is coherent. Based on the condition of the patient, if services are needed that are unavailable at the nearest hospital a patient will be transported to the next larger hospital where those services are available.

At times, area hospitals may be full and diverting new patients, except for trauma cases. In these instances, the next nearest hospital providing the needed services is contacted as the accepting facility.
In some cases, the coroner will be called directly to a scene. If there is any question at all about the length of downtime of the patient and/or the amount of CPR time prior to the EMS arrival, CPR is continued while the patient is transported to the nearest available hospital.
Liberty Regional EMS is the highest user of the Air Evac Lifeteam air ambulance service in our area. If the patient’s condition is determined to require transport by a life flight service, the service will be contacted to pick-up the patient either at the hospital or in the field, based on the severity of the condition of the patient. Once they arrive, the flight crew of the air ambulance will also assist in the determination of the destination hospital.

The EMS management, including the medical director, constantly re-evaluates guidelines and protocols to keep services in compliance with national guidelines. Liberty Regional EMS has both onsite training and continuing education that meet state and national requirements.