“I hate to keep bringing this up, but people are not scared enough,” Aaron Haughey told fellow Tama City Council members on Monday night, Jan. 3.

“People in Tama aren’t realizing the dire need for help,” he said. Haughey was expressing concern about the volunteer crew member numbers for the Tama Ambulance Service.

“If nobody is going to step up to the plate, it just leaves the service in these dire straights,” Haughey said.

The service answered a total of 709 calls in 2016 with about 30 active members.

The service has been under stress since at least June of last year when a call was launched for more help.

The number of older members retiring will continue to contribute to the shortage of Emergency Medical Service members, Haughey said Monday night.

Applications to serve are available at the Tama City?Clerk’s Office or for more information contact any ambulance service member.