We told you yesterday that two-way radio analog paging communications between the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department’s dispatchers and the county’s volunteer fire departments came to an end this week when Sheriff Willis Blackwell ordered the paging to shutdown, because it was interfering with the new digital frequency.

It’s now being reported by the Timpson-Tenaha News, Sheriff Blackwell has instructed dispatchers to forward all request for emergency medical attention in the Timpson area to ACE EMS, regardless, even if the caller ask for the Timpson ambulance.

Sheriff Blackwell said in an article in Thursday’s paper, if someone in Timpson wants Timpson Volunteer Ambulance and only the Timpson ambulance, they need to call the ambulance service directly.

The sheriff’s department assumed dispatch of the Timpson ambulance service a few months ago, and Sheriff Blackwell said he had told the organization they needed to have someone on duty that could tell the dispatcher within a few minutes, if Timpson emergency personnel could make the run.

However, according to the article, Sheriff Blackwell said it took 15 minutes for Timpson ambulance to let the sheriff’s office know they couldn’t get a crew together recently. He said his department cannot assume liability for the time loss.

If you live in the Timpson area and want the Timpson VAS, you will need to call 254-2323, directly, and not 9-1-1.