HOUSTON COUNTY, Tenn. — EMTs from Houston County are now required to call a hospital before transporting patients.

The new county guidelines prohibit EMS providers from deciding where a patient should go, and, the EMS director said, take time away from patient care.

The policy states that the county has a limited number of ambulances, and this is one of the reasons for the policy change, WKRN reported.

County Commissioner George Jeram though said another reason is that the doctors are the ones supposed to decide where the patient should go.

"I trust (EMTs) to take the vitals, to do what they’re taught to do and to contact a doctor ASAP to find out what’s going on," Jeram said.

EMS Director Stephen Graybill said EMTs are properly trained to make that decision and the new policy is putting people’s lives in jeopardy.