CHELSEA, Okla. — As the Chelsea Fire Department sees a dramatic increase in calls, a new ambulance is expected to cut down on response times.
“When it comes to the ability to save a life in this community, this is a huge step,” said Kenny DeLozier.
Kenny DeLozier has lived in Chelsea for more than 25 years. He and other long-term residents are excited about a new ambulance that’ll soon be stationed at the Chelsea Fire Department.
“The ambulance service will do nothing but improve the quality of life in Chelsea, Oklahoma for a lot of people,” said DeLozier.
Fire Chief Craig Sampson agrees.
“This is a big thing for Chelsea,” said Craig Sampson.
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In the last 6 years, Chief Sampson says their call volume has steadily increased. They had 446 calls in 2017. They had 819 calls in 2022. So far this year, they’ve already responded to 392 calls.
“I believe it’s population and growth,” said Chief Sampson. “Anything north of Claremore has grown a lot from houses and businesses.”
During our interview Tuesday afternoon, Chief Sampson and Pafford Medical Services responded to a medical call.
“It will decrease the response times to the northern end of Rogers County which will save lives,” said Mechele Cruz, the Eastern Oklahoma Director of Operations for Pafford Medical Services.
Mechele Cruz says normally it would’ve taken an ambulance more than 20 minutes to get to the home from Claremore. Leaving the Chelsea Fire Department, it took the ambulance less than 5 minutes.
“We know seconds count for lifesaving,” said Chief Sampson. “That’s a big asset for the Chelsea area.”
The ambulance will soon be stationed at the department full time. It’s welcome news for everyone who lives in town.
“It’s something that is vital to any community, and it is finally going to be a positive change,” said DeLozier.
The Chelsea Fire Department also broke ground on their second fire station Tuesday.
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