Knoxville Fire and Rescue has seen an increase in the distance traveled to transport patients from the Knoxville Hospital and Clinics to other hospitals. Transfers usually go to Des Moines or Iowa City, but Chief Cal Wyman says that they’re now transporting patients as far as Rochester, Minnesota, Omaha, Nebraska, and Chicago, Illinois. Wyman tells KNIA/KRLS News that he believes the longer transports are a result in a decrease of available beds in the metro.

“To me, I think a lot of it is just the hospitals in the metro are getting to their capacities either with patients or staffing or a combination of both. And some of these transfers they’d normally use an air ambulance…but they’re getting busier as well, so they’re doing some of these transfers now going by ground where normally they would have gone by air.”

Wyman adds that Knoxville Fire and Rescue will do whatever it takes to provide the best care possible for the people they serve.