Bond Vote Brings Hope To Oologah-Talala EMS

Outdated technology, old ambulances and almost daily repairs are just some of the reasons why medics at Oologah-Talala EMS are hoping voters approve a $1.4 million bond issue Tuesday.

Paramedic Ryan Setzkorn showed News On 6 one of the ambulances that OTEMS hopes will be replaced if voters approve the bond issue.

"We're running on trucks that are you know between 17 and 20 years old," said Setzkorn.  "They've got about 200,000 miles on them, and we're fixing them or repairing daily."

Setzkorn says if they don't get the funding, it could cause a cut back on services and could significantly delay response time.

"We have some of the best paramedics in the area working here," said Setzkorn. "If you don't have a good truck to get out to the call, to be able to safely transport to the hospital, all of that goes nowhere."

Setzkorn says they are looking to replace four ambulances and purchase a variety of updated medical equipment along with other fixes.  

He says engines and transmissions on the trucks are wearing out and says they've even had ambulances break down on the way to the hospital.

"If you're having a time-sensitive medical issue such as a heart attack or stroke, those minutes are muscle or brain tissue, and every delay causes further injury and possible death," Setzkorn stated.

If the vote is approved, they hope to have those ambulances by the summer.  

OTEMS also says taxes will not go up because of this bond issue.