Their health should be a number 1 concern but they should be moved until the county provides them with a building. Not Andrews.

Posted by on 2/19/2010

As a citizen of Andrews I am ashamed of the comments posted on here. The EMS employees health and well-being should be number one. They should be moved to nine mile curve until we can supply a building.

Posted by on 2/18/2010

As a concerned citizen of Andrews, I would like to shed some light on this subject for everyone. City Hall for the Town of Andrews used to be the lunch room for the old Andrews High School. It was rennovated and turned into City Hall. The bays where the EMS building is located now was added on specifically for the Andrews Fire Department to keep their firetrucks in and was also their kitchen and eating area. Years went by 50+ and the town council forced the the Fire Department to relocate behind City Hall so the Police Department could have a secure place to escort criminals to jail. The police department quit using the jail and started taking criminals to the Georgetown County Detention Center. The bays were used as storage for the APD, the Georgetown County EMS came to the town and told them they had to supply the EMS with a building or Georgetown County was going to pull the EMS out of town. The mayor and council decided to build a building in the Andrews Fire Department bay, the council said "the EMS building around back was leaking and too delapidated to fix". As a concerned citizen isn't that the same building where Andrews Fire keeps their trucks? I think the town should take better care of its own departments before taking care of the counties, if its okay for the Fire Department why isn't it okay for the County EMS? How many other places in Georgetown County pay their: water, sewer, telephone, cable and supply them with a building to operate from? The citizens in Andrews pay county taxes and that is how all the Fire/EMS stations are built in the county. Why should JUST the town pay for rennovations to the EMS building? The county should pay for the repairs using county tax money,the citizens are paying for County EMS and their utilities. When the taxpayers utilize the service they have to pay for a trip to the hospital.Why? If county EMS is supported by county taxes why does anybody that pays those taxes have to pay for the service a 2nd time? Sounds like double dipping to me. Another thing since we are so focussed on the mold in the Andrews Station has the county checked for mold in all the county buildings? (County Schools, County Libraries,Choppee Health Center) etc. If not Why?

Posted by on 2/18/2010

The comment on do your job we pay you to the comment that was posted is very rude. the comment that person made was probably as a whole the town is worried about a couple of dollars. Ems has come to my residence several times at all hours- The crew was very caring for my family and myself- The female crew saved my life I was rushed to Cath Lab Then to MUSC--I Had triplr bypass- The crew never made me feel apprehensive acted calm all the way to the hosp and I was told if they had not acted so quickly notifying the hosp of a STEMI pt. Which was explained to me by the Dr. in MUSC that I could have died before reaching the hosp. So yes this is political problem not a lack of the crews doing there job. Always in there debt.

Posted by on 2/18/2010

There is a new station in the pipeline. It supposed to be built on the old high school property. Last I heard it was being bid out for design.

Posted by on 2/15/2010

No one said they did not want you in Andrews, did they? No all that was said is that your employer (Georgetown County which includes Andrews) should pay for you a building that you dont have to worry about mold. Yes the police and fire departments of the town would probably like their bay back but that has nothing to do with your service and to say that you want to go to the 9 mile curve because of some post here only shows your true concern for the people of Andrews. Someone complains about being taxed twice and your response is to say fine I hope they take the services away all together? Wow that is very adult of you. No one wants you to leave, however the residents of Andrews pay your salary so stop whining about being under appreciated and do your job.

Posted by on 2/15/2010

If fire and Police Dept wants there bays back as an EMS/FIRE employee I think the county should give it back and we keep our crews at 9 Mile curve, After reading most of these comments I feel as an EMS worker that all my years of working in Andrews seems to have not been noticed or appreciated by the community as a whole ''''''Very disappointed.

Posted by on 2/15/2010

First county ems budget has nothing to do with the building owned town of Andrews. Second while it is a health issue why does Andrews have to furnish ANY building since no other area does? third the county was waiting on Andrews to fix the building not waiting on ok to fix it. Fourth Andrews fire did not want to move out of the bays at all and would still like it back as well as the Andrews Police department.

Posted by on 2/12/2010

First I read alot about taxes on here! This is a health issue for the workers! It seems like people are more worried about who owns the building and not the EMS workers health! Second from what I have been told Andrews Fire moved out and turned the bays over to Andrews PD then the city moved the EMS out of the old building, the Ambulance was in to the bays because of rats in the old building (not safe when they are falling into the beds with the crew in the middle of the night)! Third I looked at the budget for county ems it is seperat from county fire! So the fire tax that is paid dose not cover county ems. Forth Georgetown City was offred to keep an ambulance inside the city limits but Georgetown city fire turned it down!
Fifth looking at Andrews Fire Dept. budget about 2/3 of it comes from county fire! Sixth the county could no go in and fix the building until the Town gave permission.

Posted by on 2/11/2010

Glad to see channel 2 did there story last night. No they are not building the new station over near the high school, they have torn down the mold infested box inside of a box and are replacing it with another box inside of a box. While everyone is out and about just swing by and take a look, for those of you who do not know where it is located it is inside of the bay beside the police department.

Posted by on 2/11/2010

I hope they get it fixed fast and build the new Andrews ems station soon. From what I hear the new station is going to be on the old high schools property. It is important for ems to be in Andrews and it is only fair that the town get its building back when they move.

Posted by on 2/11/2010

I saw that story. Scary stuff. Thank God our local newspaper is here to bring these things to light. I bet TV would have never done anything otherwise. Just like they jumped all over the prayer in school story after it was in the Times.

Posted by on 2/11/2010

Hope Ya'll saw channel 2 news last night about the mold in the EMS Station. Pretty bad when the news is talking about Andrews and EMS conditions that they were housing there staff in that had to be in that enviroment for 24hrs. I believe this has been on going for over a year??? Its bad when you can only get something fixed by going public and airing as we say our dirty laundry. But sometimes shaming upper management to fix a building is ??????? How about those EMS/F.F. that have been there 24hrs a day for the past year. How is there health situation going to end up. The news stated mold causes severe headaches/respiratory problems/intestinal problems ect. What are we doing to the people that are trained to save our lives---and property. Even our animals do not breath mold all-day.

Posted by on 2/11/2010

If people would quit complaining about them maybe raising taxes, and having to pay an extra $20 - $30 bucks this year then the county could keep employees because they could compete with salaries that the surrounding departments are paying there employees. The county keeps hiring employees but instead of raising taxes last year they made there employees foot the bill instead of distributing it across the whole county. So you are not going to always have a full crew out at the station at 9 mile curve. FELLOW TAX PAYERS YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!!!!!

Posted by on 2/9/2010

It is amazing that a few years back when the ambulances were moved out of the city limits of Georgetown there was not this much controversy. People complain if they pay a little more taxes and the ambulance is in the town limits and they complain because it takes longer for the ambulance to get there. But hey your taxes don't cost as much.

Posted by on 2/9/2010

In the past there have been questions about EMS Service for this part of the County. When the ( Mile Curve Station was built with county money there were long periiods of time when there was NO EMS Crew at the ( Mile Curve Station until it was brought to the publics attention on the front page of The Georgetown Times. Now The Andrews Station is in question and only staffed during day hours. What I would like to know is IS THE 9 Mile Station FULLY staffed with Fire AND EMS Personnel in addition to housing the Andrews EMS Crew at night.. or is this another way to have County Citizens pay for 2 sations and 2 crews and get short changed by eliminating a crew cutting services that WE DO PAY FOR?? And placing tax payers at risk?

Posted by Lynne Sherlund-Dupuis on 2/9/2010

How about this? Lets move the ambulance out of Andrews and the next time one of our family members has a heart attack and passes away because the ambulance was too far away, we can at least be thankful of one thing for sure - our tax bill was lower.

Posted by on 2/9/2010

Also just to let you know the town is exempt from taxes. My point is that the county is charging Andrews the same without having to spring for a building.

Posted by on 2/8/2010

ummm regardless of its condition the building is owned by the town and the utilities are paid by the town. As well as moving the other occupants that used to be there out. I do agree however that the county should pay for a building somewhere else.

Posted by on 2/8/2010

I am sorry to inform you but you are not paying double tax for that building. Have you ever looked at the EMS building? It is a box built inside of one of the bays at the police station. So it does not cost you any more tax money because it is not a building itself. I for one have been by and seen this building first hand and would not put anyone in those conditions to live in. It is a shame that they can not just put up a building at the industrial park just outside of Andrews near the bypass, they have the utilities and the county already owns it.

Posted by on 2/8/2010

Residents pay county taxes the same as other areas. They also pay city taxes to the town. Andrews is the only area that provides the building for the county ems workers. Thus Andrews residents are paying county taxes for ems services and town taxes pay for the building that the county provides in other areas. Thus Andrews is paying for a building as well as electric, water etc that is provided to other areas by the county.

Posted by on 2/8/2010

Maybe I am missing something here, but how are the citizens in andrews being taxed twice?

Posted by on 2/8/2010

No we think that the county is providing the service for other areas without being provided a building. I am happy with the ems workers being in Andrews but it IS NOT FAIR FOR RESIDENTS TO BE TAXED TWICE. PERIOD. No one wants them out of Andrews. We only want to pay for the services ONCE. The same as everybody else.

Posted by on 2/8/2010

Maybe EMS needs to move out of Andrews because of what I have read the community does not want to have them there in Andrews if it is going to make there taxs a little higher??? Maybe tomorrow the folks that live there might need EMS in a hurry-Maybe there grandchild might stop breathing 4-7mins with out oxygen the child can be brain dead and never fuction normally again, or a bad car accident with massive injuries your wife/husband could be envolved those seconds count OR DO WE THINK MORE ABOUT MONEY THAN OUR LOVED ONES.

Posted by Horrified Citizen on 2/8/2010

I am concerned for the double taxation of the Andrews Residents. the ems workers seem to be covered.

Posted by on 2/8/2010

It is ashame that everyone is more concered about who should be responsible to supply a building then for the safety and wellbeing of the EMS workers that are having to stay there. They are not the ones that make the decision about who pays for which building but they are the ones that have to suffer the outcome.

Posted by on 2/8/2010

I am glad this finely came to light, of how the county bleeds the Town of Andrews. This issue and a number of other issues had concern me for a number of years. The weakness in town leadership has been the need to get along at the expense of representing the people they served.

Posted by Willie J. Sparkman, Jr. on 2/7/2010

If the Town is providing the building does the county cut the taxes and ems fees that are in county taxes? Further more who is responsible for the buildings in Pawleys island? Are those county buildings?

Posted by on 2/7/2010

So what everybody is saying is that it is fair for Andrews to pay county taxes for ambulance service, the same as residents in the county and pay town taxes to pay for the building? Sounds to me like Andrews residents are paying twice for the same service that the county is getting. Just because Andrews wants ambulance service does not give the county the right to make them provide a building.

Posted by on 2/7/2010

It is kind of hard for any other area to provide the county with a building when all of the other ambulances are out in the county and not inside any city or town limits.

Posted by on 2/6/2010

The town provides the county a building because Andrews wanted an ambulance inside the town limits and in order for that to happen they agreed to provide them with the building.

Posted by on 2/6/2010

That building is not county owned anyway. Why does the town provide the county a building when no other area does? The county should be responsible for their own building.

Posted by on 2/6/2010

This has been an on going problem . Andrews Fire at one time had their Fire Truck in there. How can it be safe in the daytime and not at night. How many tests where done before someone found out about this.

Posted by on 2/5/2010