Pope County emergency response team looks to reduce response time in rural areas

POPE COUNTY, Ark. – A new group in rural Pope County is trying to reduce emergency response times.

The Bayliss Emergency Medical Response Team serves people in the Augsburg and Bayliss township area.

Fire Chief Joe Holmes says this group is filling a need in the community. The emergency response medical team is made up of eight volunteers trained as EMRs, which is the basic level of EMS.

EMS can take up to nearly 20 minutes to arrive to medical emergencies. However, because this group all lives in the Bayliss area, they cut down that response time. The team can provide lifesaving help while EMS arrives.

Holmes noted that the team wouldn’t be possible without several other agencies lending a hand, including Pope County 911, the Pope County Office of Emergency Management and more.

The team has been taking calls for about a month, and Holmes hopes to grow the group all to help in their community.

“We’ve already seen some calls that were requiring some drastic interventions, and to be able to be there and give that kind of care is great, especially for the community members,” he said.

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