DAPHNE, Ala. (WKRG) — Newman’s Ambulance Services opened a Daphne location this past Sunday, starting operations with four new ambulances running routes between Fairhope and Spanish Fort.

“There’s a need to supplement the services here and looking at that, it’s primarily on facility transfers. Those being emergency or non-emergency facility transfers going to a higher level of care within the skilled nursing facilities and such in Baldwin County,” said Mike Sandell.

While they’ll respond to emergency calls when available and if they’re needed, it won’t be their main focus right now. Medstar will still handle the majority of calls while Newman’s is available to assist.

“That way it better helps free up the primary 911 provider here to concentrate more so on the 911 services,” explained Sandell.

Daphne Mayor Robin LeJeune knows response times for an ambulance to arrive aren’t always quick in the Jubilee City.

“We have invested in paramedics on our fire trucks, and so then the response times we’re waiting on is just for the ambulance to get there,” LeJeune said Monday.

Baldwin Co. 911 data shows long wait times for an ambulance in May, June and July of this year. In July, it took Medstar more than 57 minutes to respond to a call on July 15.

(Courtesy of Baldwin Co. 911 data)

“We hope that any addition will help any of those times,” Mayor LeJeune added.

On Saturday, Lifeguard Ambulance Services, part of the Medstar family, ceased operations in Mobile, which could put more EMTs on the streets of Baldwin County.

While Newman’s says they’re not here with a primary focus on emergency calls, they are in Daphne to grow and help with the demand as the population continues to increase.

“We’ve had people reach out to us and concerned at times. Again, the county continues to grow and so we’re just here to help supplement in some of the areas that are needed,” Sandell said.

At some point, we’re told Newman’s Ambulance Services will open a Bay Minette hub for additional transports.

Sandell tells WKRG News 5 the transport services in Baldwin County will not affect the company’s operations in Mobile.