When seconds count.. how many does it take for an ambulance to get to your house? Too many In Aiken County, according to EMS officials.

Officials say response times are above the national average -- as much as half an hour in some areas. They say that's because the county is so big, and there are just not enough ambulances.

"Under our population we need 14 ambulances and we have in service probably between 7 and 9," said Dominick Bianco, Aiken County's Emergency Service Director.

He says the county won't buy new ambulances, so he came up with the idea to share resources with volunteer rescue units in the county.

Bianco says the county would like to rent the ambulances and staff them full time.

This week he met with volunteer rescue units and discussed the possibility of involving the three private ambulance companies in Aiken County.

He says that raised eyebrows. "When they hear the word private, they think that people do things for money rather than for patient care," he said.

But Bianco says that would not happen because all ambulances would be equipped the same as the county trucks -- and the medics would meet the same standards.

"Even when it comes to the private ambulance services, we're going to be responsible for education," said Cindy Brazier. She handles training in the department.

She says it only makes sense to use the equipment and personnel already in Aiken County.

"Who's going to be in Aiken County if we have a Natural Disaster, a Graniteville, it's going to be our people helping our people," she said.