County Budget Committee Asked to Fund Four New EMS Positions

April 19, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

Four more full time EMS employees!

DeKalb EMS Director Hoyte Hale would like to expand the number of EMS staff from the current level of 20 to a total of 24 beginning with the 2024-25 budget year and he made that request during a county budget committee meeting Tuesday night.

By having four more full time employees (preferably paramedics), Hale said the ambulance service could fully staff three Advanced Life Support 24/7 crews (24 hours per day, 7 days per week) including two crews at the headquarters in Smithville and one at the new Liberty Fire Hall. ALS ambulance crews consist of EMTs and a paramedic.

If approved the EMS budget for medical personnel would increase from $775,028 this year to $911,787 next year (fiscal year 2024-25).

Currently, the county has three staffed ambulances but only two operate 24 hours per day every day (ALS) while the other (day truck) is staffed for 12 hours per day every day (Basic Life Support).

“The way we have it split up right now, we have a paramedic truck on top (Smithville) and a paramedic truck in Liberty. If that paramedic truck here in town goes outside the city limits the one in Liberty comes back to town (Smithville). We have the BLS crew, but their call volume has increased greatly because they have been catching 911 calls during that transition of us coming up the hill,” explained Assistant EMS Director Trent Phipps.

“Anything (ambulance) with a paramedic on it is an ALS truck. When we have two EMTS on it that’s considered a BLS truck. Their (EMTs) abilities are slightly limited to that of a paramedic. They can’t do as much stuff. If that BLS truck with two EMTS responds to a call, the Liberty truck almost always has to come to them wherever they are in the county and assist them with that depending upon the type of the call,” said Phipps.

“The state requires in my yearly audit that we have an Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT) with a paramedic on 95% of our calls,” added EMS Director Hale.

“There are no ambulances at the Liberty Station after 8 p.m.,” explained County Mayor Matt Adcock. “The BLS (Basic Life Support) day truck hours are 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. After the day truck shift has concluded the 12-hour shift, the ALS (Advanced Life Support) truck at the Liberty Station returns to the Smithville Station (station 1). Director Hale will also be asking for a capital project allocation for sleeping quarters to be added to the Liberty Station to house the new requested third ALS unit. This would allow the third requested ALS unit to remain at the Liberty Station 24/7 providing uninterrupted coverage of the western and northern portions of the county. This will have a significant impact on the towns of Dowelltown, Liberty, and Alexandria,” said County Mayor Adcock

Meanwhile, EMS Director Hale and Assistant Director Phipps may soon be taking on more duties. They have been asked by the county mayor to share the responsibilities of Medical Examiner Investigator when there is an ambulance call involving a death. They would be working under the physician who serves as the actual medical examiner. Plans are to also train the EMTs and paramedics on staff to fill in for Hale and Phipps if they are unavailable. Another $5,000 would be added to Hale’s salary for these extra duties putting his yearly salary at just over $64,000 barring any other pay hike. Phipps would also be granted an increase in pay or stipend for his services in that role. Director Hale has further requested an additional $2,000 in pay as EMS director.

During his budget presentation Tuesday night, Director Hale further asked that the line item for part time pay be increased from $135,000 this year to $150,000 next year and that the allocation for overtime pay be adjusted to $250,000, up from $200,000. A part time secretary would get a three dollar per hour increase in pay going from $12 to $15 under Director Hale’s request.

With at least two EMS employees planning to attend paramedic school, Director Hale has asked that the budget for In-service training be upped from $18,000 to $40,000.

Meanwhile, Hale wants the allocation for vehicle maintenance and repair to be increased by $10,000 from $65,000 to $75,000 and that the budget for maintenance and repair to the EMS building be adjusted by $3,500 to $8,500. Plans are to replace garage door motors, add security cameras and keyed door pad locks, and to do some painting.

The budget committee has not yet acted on the proposed EMS budget.

April 19, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

A Dowelltown man who left the scene of an accident in which his semi-truck hit and damaged the awning of a church in Alexandria is in trouble with the law.

21-year-old Ethan Tittle of Mill Street, Dowelltown is charged with leaving the scene of an accident, driving on a suspended license, and possession of a schedule II drug (methamphetamine). According to Alexandria Police Chief Travis Bryant, on April 1, police responded to Edgewood Street where the awning on the Church of God building had been damaged. Through an investigation, police determined that in the early morning hours of April 1 a semi-truck, operated by Tittle, was attempting to turn around in the parking lot of the church. As it was turning, the truck caught the corner of the roof and caused a substantial amount of damage to the building. Records revealed Tittle’s license was suspended and he was found to be in possession of a small amount of a schedule II (methamphetamine) at the time of his arrest. Bond for Tittle was set at $15,000.

Meanwhile in other recent Alexandria crimes, Chief Bryant reports that 55- year-old Harold Keely of Shady Lane, Alexandria is charged with a 2nd offense of driving on a revoked license. “On March 14, an officer spotted Keely operating a motor vehicle on Church Street and knew from prior encounters that he had a revoked license due to a prior DUI conviction. Keely had been charged previously with a 2nd offense of driving on a revoked license on July, 4 2023 and that case is still pending. His bond was set at $3,000.

48-year-old Micheal Gale of New Hope Road, Alexandria is charged with a 1st offense of driving under the influence. According to Chief Bryant, an officer was patrolling the area of West Main Street on March 16 and saw a motorcycle fail to maintain his lane of travel after making a turn from West Main Street onto Academy Avenue. The operator, Gale then accelerated to a speed of 52 mph in a 20-mph zone. The officer pulled over the motorcycle and spoke with Gale who smelled of alcohol. When asked to perform field sobriety tasks, Gale declined, and he was taken into custody. His bond was set at $2,500.

31-year-old Donovan Woodard of Sparta Pike, Watertown is charged with a 1st offense of driving under the influence and driving on a suspended license. Chief Bryant said that on March 15, an officer spotted Woodard coming out of C&C Market before getting into a vehicle and driving away. Knowing the status of Woodard’s license, the officer pulled him over and detected an odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. As Woodard stepped out of the vehicle, the officer noticed Woodard’s eyes were bloodshot and he was unsteady on his feet. Woodard submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tests. He was taken into custody without incident and his bond set at $2,500.

44-year-old Troy Coon of Swift Road, Greenbrier is charged with manufacture, delivery, sale, or possession of a schedule II drug (Methamphetamine), unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, driving on a canceled license, and expired registration. Chief Bryant said that on March 6, an officer stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation on West Main Street, spoke with the driver, Coon, and learned that his license was canceled and that he was a DUI offender. While searching the automobile, police found several syringes, 2 of which were loaded with drugs, and other items consistent with the use of narcotics. They also found approximately 2.5 grams of a crystal-like substance (Methamphetamine) which was divided up into different baggies and a large sum of cash. Bond for Coon was set at $55,000.

22-year-old Christal Pegram of Nashville Highway, Alexandria is charged with domestic assault. Chief Bryant said that on March 5, officers were dispatched to a residence on Nashville Highway in reference to an assault that had occurred. After speaking with the parties involved, police determined that Pegram had committed the assault by striking the victim in the area of the head and face. Her bond was set at $3,500.

53-year-old Scott Herbert of California is charged with public intoxication. According to Chief Bryant, police were stopped by passersby and informed that a man was drinking a beer outside of C&C Market on Highway 53. As officers arrived, they found the man, Herbert who said that he was homeless and trying to get to Kingsport. Officers noticed that Herbert was unsteady on his feet and that his speech was slurred. According to police, Herbert continued trying to drink while speaking with them. Herbert was taken into custody and his bond set at $1,500.

46-year-old Jasper Beasley of High Street, Alexandria is charged with aggravated assault. Chief Bryant said that on March 8, officers were dispatched to High Street due to an assault that had occurred. Upon arrival police spoke with all the parties involved in the altercation and determined that Beasley had assaulted the victim by pulling her by the hair onto the floor before hitting her in the head. Beasley then allegedly removed her shirt and wrapped it around the victim’s neck attempting to strangle her. Officers observed and documented that marks on the victim were consistent with the allegations made against Beasley. His bond is set at $15,000.

Beasley was arrested again on April 15 for violating bond conditions. Police were summoned to High Street and found Beasley to be at the residence. He was arrested without incident. His court date is set for April 29 and bond was set at $3,500.

45-year-old Jamie Orrand of Shady Lane, Alexandria is charged with public intoxication and manufacture, delivery, sale, or possession of schedule II drugs (xylazin, heroin, and fentanyl). Chief Bryant said that on March 6, police were dispatched to Shady Lane due to a suspicious person. Upon arrival, officers found Orrand laying in a front yard. He was wearing only a t-shirt and wrapped in a blanket. While speaking with him, Orrand began yelling and claiming that someone had attacked him inside his residence. Orrand was then placed into the police car and transported back to his home where he asked that officers go inside and apprehend the attackers. Officers made entry but did not find any signs of an assault. They did spot in plain view a baggie of approximately 3 grams of a white powdery substance. The contents field tested positive for xylazine, heroin, and fentanyl. Bond for Orrand is $31,500.

24-year-old Lucas Croom of Archway Circle, Dickson is charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. Chief Bryant said that on April 7, officers pulled over a vehicle in which Croom was a passenger. While speaking with Croom, the officer discovered that he was in possession of a used syringe, a cut straw with residue, and 2 small jars. Croom said the residue was cocaine. His court date is April 25.

30-year-old Ryan Kosiek of Stonecreek Road, Spring Hill is charged with a 1st offense of driving under the influence, violation of the open container law, and failure to maintain his lane. Chief Bryant said that on April 12, police were summoned to the area of Nashville Highway due to a reckless driver. Officers intercepted the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. While speaking with the driver, Kosiek police detected an odor of alcohol on him, and he was unsteady on his feet. Kosiek submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tests and he was taken into custody. His bond was set at $2,000 and he will appear in court on May 2.

53-year-old Russell Johns of Sterry Court, Antioch is charged with a 3rd offense of driving on a revoked license and possession of drug paraphernalia. Chief Bryant said that on March 21, police spotted Johns operating a vehicle on Edgewood Street and knew that his license were revoked for a 4th offense DUI conviction. A search incident to arrest revealed a set of scales with drug residue on them. Bond for Johns was set at $4,500.

April 18, 2024
By:

The Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce and the DeKalb County Mayor’s office are excited to announce the DeKalb County Clean Up event, scheduled for Saturday, May 4th. This initiative invites residents from across the county to join hands in beautifying our communities and supporting the Keep America Beautiful campaign.

The DeKalb Clean Up event aligns with the nationwide effort to enhance and beautify communities through grassroots efforts. Participants are encouraged to form teams within their workplaces, neighborhoods, or organizations, and share their involvement by posting pictures with their team names on the Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber or DeKalb Clean Up Facebook Page.

Volunteers for the DeKalb Clean Up are requested to visit the DeKalb County Complex on Saturday, May 4th between 9 AM and 10 AM to sign in, receive provided trash bags, rubber gloves, and bottles of water. A group picture will be taken at 10:00 AM for media coverage. Volunteers unable to attend the sign-in can call the Chamber office at 615-597-4163 or text 615-464-7760 to register, providing their name and work area.

County Mayor Matt Adcock expressed enthusiasm, stating, “We invite people to come out and help clean up around our communities and highways. People are welcome to pick up litter at places of their choice, or we will be glad to assign a safe place for you.”

Suzanne Williams, Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce, emphasized the importance of community involvement, noting, “DeKalb County’s peak tourism season is about to begin, so now is a great time to start getting things spruced up for our coming visitors.”

In preparation for the main event, dumpsters will be placed at strategic locations including the Dowelltown Community Center, Liberty Community Center, Alexandria City Parking Lot (behind square), and the DeKalb County Complex parking lot.

Join us in this collective effort to beautify and unify our communities. Together, we can make a significant impact, creating safer, healthier, and more livable spaces for everyone.

Let’s make a difference together!