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WAYNE, W.Va. (WSAZ) - Faced with lacking ambulance service, the Wayne County Commission took a step toward a temporary solution. However, it could be next year before residents see the benefit of Monday’s vote.

Commissioners unanimously voted to enter into an agreement to purchase three new ambulances. The emergency vehicles are supposed to arrive this summer, but Commission President Jeff Maddox told WSAZ the ambulances won’t be on the road until early next year.

“It’s going to take time,” he said. “You know, once the ambulances are there, we can’t just park the ambulances out front and say, ‘Let’s go.’”

That development came months after WSAZ first introduced you to Melissa Foster’s family. When Robert Foster found his wife unresponsive at their home last fall, his family called 911 only to learn no ambulance was available from the nearest station.

The ambulance that eventually arrived was sent from a station slightly farther away. Melissa died at the home.

“It leaves a lot of what ifs,” he said during an interview last year. “I mean, if they would have got there, somebody there and got there on time, she could still be here.”

Then, this February, 911 logs tell a similar story on Old Camp Creek Road.

A 17-year-old boy passed out while moving furniture. The nearest ambulance station, just a half mile away, did not answer the call. Instead, the ambulance that responded came from a station about 10 miles away.

The teenager was taken to the hospital, but did not survive.

It’s a devastating reality that WSAZ NewsChannel 3′s Curtis Johnson has been digging into for months. His investigation found ambulances in Wayne County come from volunteer fire departments that are not staffed 24-7.

According to state law, it is the duty of county commissions to provide emergency ambulance service.

In December, WSAZ asked Wayne County Commission President Jeff Maddox for his solution.

“There is no immediate resolution to the problems that we’re having right now,” Maddox replied.

A week after WSAZ’s story aired, progress came at a county commission meeting.

Then, in February, commissioners voted to place an EMS levy on the May ballot. A yes vote would increase property taxes to provide money for a countywide EMS service that would be staffed around the clock, but that is a long-term solution with money not set to roll in until summer 2025.

Monday, commissioners focused on the short term in voting to buy the three ambulances.

While acknowledging the ambulances may not hit the road until early next year, Maddox told WSAZ some preliminary work is under way, but cannot be finalized, he says, until voters decide on that levy next month.

That’s because, for now, the county is using one-time money from opioid settlements to buy the ambulances, but that money isn’t enough to pay for the staffing and other needs to run the service long term.

So Johnson asked, what about those needing an ambulance now.

“If we’re talking January, what do we do until then,” he asked.

“We’re negotiating on that currently,” Maddox replied.

“Such as?” Johnson followed.

“We’re just looking at providers,” Maddox answered.

“Meaning private providers,” Johnson asked.

“EMS providers,” he replied. “We’re looking for every, at every option that we can, that will fill the void between now and then.”

But Johnson then inquired further.

“What do you do for the person that’s going to need an ambulance today, tomorrow?” he asked.

“Well, we’ve got providers all throughout this county and providers that are reliable, dependable EMS providers and have been that way for decades,” Maddox replied. “So we’re counting on them to step up and be there when people need them -- as they always have been.”

“But at the same time, there’s been several instances where they haven’t been there,’ Johnson inquired. “They haven’t answered the call. What do you do? What do you do until January gets here?”

“Well, we just answered that question,” Maddox answered. “I’ll answer it again, though, if you’d like me to. We are considering every option that is available to us to provide service between now and the time that those service.”

“But other than saying every option, you’re not willing to specify anything as to what you’re looking at, anything like that?” Johnson asked.

“I think I did,” Maddox concluded.

As for the reliable, county ambulance services that Commissioner Maddox mentioned, it should be noted that one of the volunteer fire departments remains shut down by the state. As for the others, they do not staff around the clock.