LONG COUNTY, Ga. — A person identifying themselves as a former Excelsior Ambulance Service dispatcher is raising concerns about ambulance availability in Long County and says the company eliminated all 10 local dispatch positions during an October 19 restructuring.
The account provided to News Now Georgia describes crews handling repeated transports outside the county while local emergency coverage is stretched. The allegations raise questions about how Excelsior balances transport assignments with its responsibilities to residents calling 911.
Concerns about ambulance availability
According to the former dispatcher’s account, crews have been working nearly nonstop assignments involving trips from Long County to Savannah, Statesboro, Jacksonville and other surrounding areas.
The former employee said those assignments may leave only one ambulance available for local emergencies at times and most of the time that ambulance is out on a non priority headache call.
Additional information supplied with the account alleges that the company’s chief executive directed staff to accept all transports to increase revenue regardless of the availability of ambulances for 911 calls.
Excelsior’s agreement with Long County requires at least two ambulances to remain in the county for 911 coverage; however, on November 2, 2026, no local ambulance was available for a gunshot victim because the only ambulance in service for emergency calls was transporting someone else to a local hospital.
Deployment logs, staffing rosters and time-stamped dispatch records would be needed to establish how often coverage fell below required level and whether particular transport assignments contributed to delayed emergency responses, however this is not the first time beyond a reasonable doubt Excelsior has been seen not upholding their agreement.
It’s important to note this is not to blame the EMS personnel on the trucks as we understand they’re working very long hours with high expectations.
Former dispatcher describes October 19 layoffs
The former employee said Human Resources notified all 10 Long County dispatchers on October 19 that their positions were being eliminated. According to the account, employees received no severance, no extended employer-paid insurance coverage and no opportunity to move into positions at a new dispatch center in Jacksonville.
Replacement dispatchers had already been hired and trained, the former employee alleged, and began working approximately one hour before the Long County staff were told to go home.
Several displaced employees asked about being rehired or considered for jobs at the new center, according to the statement. They were reportedly told the company already had the dispatchers it needed.
A regional company and questions about local coverage
Excelsior’s website describes an ambulance and specialty transport operation serving Georgia, Florida, Alabama and South Carolina. Its services include emergency response and transfers between medical facilities.
On its 911 emergency response page, the company emphasizes investment in personnel, equipment and clinical readiness. Those general statements do not address the specific allegations about Long County staffing or the October 19 changes.
The former dispatcher said their concerns extend beyond losing a job and center on the crews and residents who depend on reliable emergency coverage.
The material available for this draft does not include a response from Excelsior or Long County officials addressing the allegations.
Yolonda Harris
News Now Georgia
