An ambulance is no longer stationed in the Town of Orange Park after a vote by the Clay County Board of County Commissioners.
The Orange Park Fire Department serves about 8,600 residents.
On Tuesday, the Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to remove Rescue 19 from Station 19 in Orange Park.
For now, patients within town limits will be transported by ambulances from Clay County fire stations.
Orange Park Town Manager Sarah Campbell said this will impact the response times for emergencies.
She said engines from Station 19 responded to a crash in four minutes, but victims had to wait 13 minutes for the ambulance to arrive from a fire station much farther away.
“That's a problem when you need to go to the hospital quickly,” Campbell said.
Campbell said the town is seeking to buy its own ambulance, but under state law, it needs approval from the county first.
The town is in the process of applying for a certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (COPCN), which would allow it to have its own ambulance system.
However, the timeline for the application process is unknown.
“We still have to go through that application process and this could be a permanent state of affairs for our residents, unfortunately,” Campbell said.
The Town Council is holding a special meeting on this issue Thursday night at 5:30 in Orange Park Town Hall.
Residents are urged to attend to voice their opinion.