CLB Calls Special Session For Monday June 27

The Cocke County Legislative Board has called a special meeting for Monday, June 27th. The meeting will be in two sessions. The first will be to go over the budget for fiscal year 2022-23 which begins next Friday July 1st. The second session will deal with the new contract for the counties’ ambulance service provided by First Call. The board will be looking at final approval or disapproval of the new contract with First Call.

After deciding to go with First Call over AMR there have continued to be problems with First Call regarding ambulance availability. One man recently informed the Public Safety Committee that his wife had suffered a heart attack and needed to be transported via ambulance to Knoxville. First Call though advised Newport Medical Center that there would not be an ambulance available to transport her for 8 hours. The man wound up transporting his wife in his own car. Complaints that have continued against First Call have led the CLB to re-examine the ambulance service contract.

That meeting Monday night will be at 6pm at the Circuit courtroom in the Cocke County Courthouse.