By Betty Lee
Lizemore Ambulance Service shut its doors this week, but hopefully not for long. Lizemore Ambulance runs calls when Clay is full, or no one else is available. They were fast to respond and an asset to the county in times of need, and worked emergency calls and transports for patients in need of dialysis, etc.
After the year the department has had, it is no secret that it was struggling financially. In early 2021, Christian Elliott with the Lizemore Fire Department and Ambulance service was sentenced for her involvement in using non-profit funds for personal gain, sadly leaving the department with very little to move forward with. Last week, Christian’s husband Jason Elliott was removed and replaced as Fire Chief.
With hopes that this shut down is a revamping of leadership and not a total closure, the department has some big changes to make to ensure its availability to the town. In the meantime, Clay County Ambulance service is responsible for the incoming 911 calls and workload. Talk of hiring the Lizemore team to work for Clay County Ambulance Service is in the works, hoping to relive the already short-staffed crew at the Clay County location.