Greene County EMS gets two new vehicles thanks to funding, grants

August 1, 2023

Mary Barron,

After years of struggling with dilapidated equipment, Greene County Emergency Management Services employees have two brand new, state-of-the-art vehicles so they can give residents the care they deserve.

These new ambulance trucks were provided thanks to funding from the Greene County Commission alongside charity bingo funds.

Greene County EMS Director Christopher Jones said these new trucks are coming at just the right time.

“It gives us more of a reliable piece of equipment to use,” Jones said. “Prior to these two ambulances, we had a (truck) that was creeping up on 200,000 miles.”

Getting the organization to a point where the trucks were a financially sound purchase was a struggle, Jones said, but the past year has seen a major turnaround after years of budget shortfalls and near closures.

“We have come a long way, but we still have a ways to go,” Jones said. “I’ve been able to procure a lot of equipment through grants and donations, but all that helps with is equipment.”

Jones said he’s thankful to area municipalities like the city of Eutaw that have stepped in and donated to keep the service open.

Greene County EMS covers 28 miles of Interstate 20/59 alongside local roads and highways, 42 miles of rail and portions of several surrounding rivers.

“There’s tens of thousands of people that travel on that interstate every day from out of state,” Jones said. “There are wrecks on this interstate all the time. And if it weren’t for the ambulance service, I don’t know where those people would be.”