SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Emergency response times in Kanawha County will be slashed going forward.
The Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority (KCEAA) officially cut the ribbon Monday morning on the first of four EMS stations in the area. The substations, located in South Charleston, Dunbar, St. Albans, and Marmet, are strategically placed to enable emergency crews in ambulances to respond quickly when they’re needed.
U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito joined local and state officials along Pennsylvania Avenue in South Charleston, just behind the WVU Medicine Thomas Memorial Hospital, for a ceremony. Capito secured just over $2 million in congressionally directed funding through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the projects, $750,000 of which for the South Charleston station.
She said that South Charleston, along with the three other areas in Kanawha County receiving these EMS stations, will receive a massive boost.
“They’re going to have six ambulances here at the ready,” Capito said. “We’re going to go over to St. Albans, and Dunbar, and Marmet. I think it’s a smart way to deliver a great service, and I’m glad I was able to play a part of it, and I congratulate the authority for their vision.”
The concrete base for the South Charleston station has already been put down. KCEAA Executive Director Lance Wheeler, a former Kanawha County commissioner and current state Senate candidate, said the authority is excited to get the project underway.
“This is a monumental investment into our communities,” Wheeler said. “Not just for South Charleston, but for Kanawha County, and even statewide.”
Wheeler took over the authority on July 1. Since then, he said, he’s been committed to upholding the mission of KCEAA: to heal and save lives.
“This is something that is going to help with reducing response times,” Wheeler said. “Making sure that we get our trucks out in minutes when seconds count, and also investing into our community, who so desperately needs it for here, with our first responders, and EMS.”
Capito cited a collaborative effort in pushing this project forward. She said that local leadership in South Charleston, Dunbar, St. Albans, and Marmet, along with county-wide, helped identify this as a need. As chair of the U.S. Senate’s Health Subcommittee on Appropriations, Capito said she was able to produce the funds when asked, joined by then-Governor Jim Justice pledging $1 million in state money.
Wheeler said the stations will be unmatched in West Virginia, and construction will come together soon.
“We’re very excited for a project this size,” Wheeler said. “This is something you’re not going to see within the state. So, we’re going to continue to work in making this South Charleston station, the St. Albans station, the Dunbar station, and Marmet station, all built within the next year.”
Capito noted that an assortment of new ambulances come along with this investment.
“This year, the ambulance authority, because they asked me to help them, will be getting six new ambulances,” Capito said. “So those are going to be top notch, fully equipped, and it’s going train our new EMTs coming in on different types of machinery and innovation. So, this is a constant updating to make our community safe and healthier.”
She said that a $4 million grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation towards improving highway safety is also on the horizon, which will also benefit KCEAA workers as they respond to emergencies.
Wheeler made sure to thank Capito for securing the funds.
“We are so grateful for Senator Shelley Moore Capito, who has always been there not just for Kanawha County, but statewide, and for our first responders,” Wheeler said. “We owe a gratitude to her for her hard work.”