Ambulance Wars Heat Up in Colbert County

W. Douglas Arnold (pictured) has served 30 years in hospital administration. Perhaps after working in Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, the South Alabama native was happy to move closer to home. After nine months at the helm of Keller, we wonder if he still feels that way.

It does seem that Mr. Arnold became privy to some information on the proposed City of Muscle Shoals switcheroo to the newly minted Shoals Ambulance Service, headquartered at a rival hospital. Our friends at The Connection are calling it "good ol' boysim." Surely not in the Shoals...

You can read their latest offering on Ambulance Wars here:

When Seconds Count

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Is the ambulance situation a clear case of cronyism? Maybe not. Here's another reader's take on it:

There have been several Ambulance Services based at Shoals Hospital or in Muscle Shoals over the years. Mike Goodwin's METRO Ambulance had an Office on the ground floor of the Medical building connected to the hospital. Then CareLine had an office in a trailer behind the hospital. Brewer Ambulance was close but I think they were in Sheffield, there was Colbert Rescue till they closed. Baccus is still in business as is Med-Call Ambulance.

I am sure Shoals Hospital is not the first Ambulance Service that has been turned down by 911. If 911 changes their way of giving out 911 calls then every Ambulance Service that was ever denied calls will have a right to sue the 911 board and more than likely win. So the lawyers for 911 know that when you have always done something one way then you have to keep doing it that way or be prepared to stay in court all the time.

As for Cherokee Rescue Squad, why run them down like you have here, they don't even have a dog in that race. Sometimes the closest Ambulance is not the best.

"Ask yourself this, DON'T YOUR LOVED ONES AND YOURSELF DESERVE A BETTER MEDICAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEM THAN WHAT IS NOW BEING DISCLOSED HERE?"

Really? I think the citizens of Muscle Shoals deserve the truth. They need to search and get the facts instead of believing the untruths you are trying to push on them. A lot of the information you are disclosing here is not correct. Have you mentioned Med-Call being in trouble several times for jumping calls or getting into confrontations with responders already on the scene of an accident, guess not.




Shoalanda