Pickens County first responders feels the effects of hospital shutdown

PICKENS COUNTY, Ala. (WCBI ) – Pickens County Medical Center has been closed for three years,

leaving residents without immediate medical support.

The community has been fighting to get the hospital back open, but like most places, there needs to be

more funding.

“Volunteer fire departments are in real need of help.”

Keith Cox, President of the Pickens County Fire Association, is feeling the heat outside and the heat of a

short staff.  He says it all began with….”The closure of our hospital has resulted in a trickle-down effect

on the first responders on the streets,” Cox said.

That has put a strain on services in Pickens County , because the first responders are few in number and stretched out thin.

“Normally, it is going to be a 30-minute trip to Tuscaloosa or Columbus one way, and of course, over and back, that is an extra 1 hour,” Cox said.

And while some departments are paid, rural areas mostly depend on volunteers.

“We are all struggling for volunteers. Our ambulance services pay their employees, and they are struggling for employees,” Cox said.

So what keeps this department going in the community you may ask.

“We work as a team and help each other,” Cox said.

Cox says there are 2 main qualifications to join the volunteer fire department, they you be 18 years and

older and willing to serve their community and surrounding areas.