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EMS workers pushed to the limit
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| Columbia County Emergency Medical Service Capt. Vicki Hein and paramedic James Johnson are on standby for emergency calls. JASON MATTHEW WALKER/Lake City Reporter |
Crew of 24 men and women are ‘overworked folks.’
By JEFF M. HARDISON
jhardison@lakecityreporter.com
Twenty-four men and women comprise the crews on four ambulances in Columbia County Emergency Medical Service’s three stations, EMS Director Rusty
Noah said.
That’s a two-person staff for each ambulance, where they work 24 hours and then are off for 48 hours continuously.
Noah, 38, has been involved with EMS for 17 years. He has served as director of Columbia County EMS for five years. Within the bounds that exist, he is pleased with the department’s work.
“I think that the service has great potential to be the best; however, the current workload for the employees is such that it is hard to achieve that goal,” Noah said. “Everybody in the system knows we need another crew. The folks are overworked. We have done everything we can to try to enhance the system.”
There are four active ambulances in Columbia County operating 24-hours-a-day, every day of the year, Noah said. There are three backup ambulances, which are put in service when needed as replacements, Noah said.
Columbia County took delivery of four new ambulances in September 2006, he said.
Ambulances are at three stations — one near the Columbia County Fairgrounds on the Branford Highway; one at Bascom Norris Drive and Washington Street; and one in Columbia City. Noah said the county bought 5 acres in Fort White at County Road 18 and Southwest Cooper Terrace for a fourth station.
There will be a combined Columbia County Fire Department (CCFD) and EMS station in Fort White, or at the existing fire station in Fort White, Noah said.
More is needed
A fifth EMS station is needed, he said, to improve response time. That enhancement to the system would have been possible if the Lake City City Council had agreed to the request of the Columbia County Board of County Commissioners to pay $250,000 this year, as the city reportedly had agreed to continue paying the past couple of years.
Noah said $250,000 would fund one year of another 24-hour EMS crew in Columbia County. The ambulance they would use, he said, would be one of the backups.
City leaders said the budget could not handle the $250,000 requested for EMS enhancement this fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1.
In regard to the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1, 2009, Mayor Stephen Witt said he is in favor of speaking with the County Commission about EMS enhancement. He would like to consider the matter, however, by looking at the entire budgets of both the city and the county.
Witt said that even though EMS is not funded by ad valorem property taxes, city residents see that they pay the same property tax to the County Commission as people who live outside the city. This is why some people think the city is justified in not paying any money to enhance EMS, Witt said.
Help on the way?
Councilman Eugene Jefferson said that if Columbia County asks for EMS funding from Lake City next year, he will consider it. He could not say if the city would be able to help next year.
“I can’t predict the economy for next year, or how the city budget will be,” Jefferson said. “It’s too far out (in time) to make that prediction.”
City Councilman George Ward said he did not want to comment about the city giving money to Columbia County EMS in the 2009-10 fiscal year.
As for EMS in Columbia County, including Lake City, the ambulances will roll whenever and wherever they are called to service, Noah said. The department works within its budget.
In regard to calls for help, the county responded to almost 10,000 calls in the past year, Noah said. It covers all of Columbia County’s 779 square miles. Sometimes, when there are several calls at once, the response time is delayed, he said.
When response time is quicker, one can expect a better outcome for the patient. While everyone would like to have an ambulance on the corner where they live when they need one, it is not possible economically, he said.
Firefighters help EMS as first responders, Noah said, especially when calls are stacked up for help.
“Firefighters as first responders help stabilize patients,” Noah said. “They are wonderful. They are patient-savers when we are stacked (with calls). They really do a lot to help out.”
Firefighters in action
When 911 dispatch is called because of a life-threatening medical emergency in Columbia County or Lake City, it is not just Columbia County Emergency Medical Services ambulances that launch into action.
The city and county firefighters respond.
Lake City Fire Chief Carlton Tunsil and Assistant Chief Frank Armijo spoke about the city firefighting service related to EMS.
The city has oxygen and defibrillators on firetrucks. Firefighters provide basic life support. They open airways and stabilize patients.
“We do a lot at an accident — not just patient care,” Armijo said. “Patients come first, though.”
City firefighters spray foam or water to reduce fire potential. They stabilize crashed vehicles. They “remove the vehicle from the victim” when it comes to extrication, Armijo said.
They remove oil to prevent the road from being slick and causing another accident. They set up a landing zone for helicopter transport. They drive the ambulance when both EMS personnel are required in the back of the ambulance.
Firefighters sometimes must place a fire engine between a vehicle and oncoming traffic to reduce the danger, Armijo said.
Working together
Armijo noted that EMS supplies the city fire teams with oxygen and other medical supplies. Everyone works together, he said.
“We love to see EMS at our house fires or hazmat scenes too,” he said. “Their presence gives us peace of mind.”
Columbia County Fire Department Division Chief David Boozer spoke about county firefighters’ duties in relation to saving lives, beyond the realm of dousing flames. They perform the same jobs as their brethren in the city.
All three agencies’ leaders said the men and women on all of the teams work for the good of the people, and they do so without boundaries from city limits.
“Life safety is our number one requirement,” Boozer said. “We can build buildings every day, but we can’t build people. We’re doing everything we can to sustain life.”
Automatic defibrillators are included at the eight fire stations in the county, and will be at the station soon to be under construction, Boozer said. Whether the Columbia County firefighter is paid or is a volunteer, they are certified as first responders at the least.
Many paid and volunteer firefighters are also either an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) or a paramedic, Boozer said.
Strategic locations
In relation to medical matters, CCFD firefighters answer calls for help at traffic accidents, heart attacks, respiratory emergencies, and any other life-threatening emergency, Boozer said.
The CCFD staff take off from eight stations. Stations are known as “career,” “career/reserve” or “reserve” stations. “Career” means paid firefighters and “reserve” means volunteer firefighters.
Here are the locations where CCFD stations exist:
nStation 40 Branford Highway and Bascom Norris Drive (career)
n Station 41 Deep Creek area (reserve)
nStation 42 Suwannee Valley (career/reserve)
n Station 43 Pine Mount (career/reserve)
nStation 44 Columbia City (reserve)
nStation 45 Ellisville (career/reserve)
n Station 46 Fort White (career/reserve)
nStation 47 Lulu (reserve)
Station 48 will be a
career station, Boozer said. It will be off U.S. Highway 441 South and Racetrack Road. Construction is anticipated to start in September, he said, and the CCFD is hoping to see it completely built within six months after that, Boozer said.
Noah said.
That’s a two-person staff for each ambulance, where they work 24 hours and then are off for 48 hours continuously.
Noah, 38, has been involved with EMS for 17 years. He has served as director of Columbia County EMS for five years. Within the bounds that exist, he is pleased with the department’s work.
“I think that the service has great potential to be the best; however, the current workload for the employees is such that it is hard to achieve that goal,” Noah said. “Everybody in the system knows we need another crew. The folks are overworked. We have done everything we can to try to enhance the system.”
There are four active ambulances in Columbia County operating 24-hours-a-day, every day of the year, Noah said. There are three backup ambulances, which are put in service when needed as replacements, Noah said.
Columbia County took delivery of four new ambulances in September 2006, he said.
Ambulances are at three stations — one near the Columbia County Fairgrounds on the Branford Highway; one at Bascom Norris Drive and Washington Street; and one in Columbia City. Noah said the county bought 5 acres in Fort White at County Road 18 and Southwest Cooper Terrace for a fourth station.
There will be a combined Columbia County Fire Department (CCFD) and EMS station in Fort White, or at the existing fire station in Fort White, Noah said.
More is needed
A fifth EMS station is needed, he said, to improve response time. That enhancement to the system would have been possible if the Lake City City Council had agreed to the request of the Columbia County Board of County Commissioners to pay $250,000 this year, as the city reportedly had agreed to continue paying the past couple of years.
Noah said $250,000 would fund one year of another 24-hour EMS crew in Columbia County. The ambulance they would use, he said, would be one of the backups.
City leaders said the budget could not handle the $250,000 requested for EMS enhancement this fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1.
In regard to the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1, 2009, Mayor Stephen Witt said he is in favor of speaking with the County Commission about EMS enhancement. He would like to consider the matter, however, by looking at the entire budgets of both the city and the county.
Witt said that even though EMS is not funded by ad valorem property taxes, city residents see that they pay the same property tax to the County Commission as people who live outside the city. This is why some people think the city is justified in not paying any money to enhance EMS, Witt said.
Help on the way?
Councilman Eugene Jefferson said that if Columbia County asks for EMS funding from Lake City next year, he will consider it. He could not say if the city would be able to help next year.
“I can’t predict the economy for next year, or how the city budget will be,” Jefferson said. “It’s too far out (in time) to make that prediction.”
City Councilman George Ward said he did not want to comment about the city giving money to Columbia County EMS in the 2009-10 fiscal year.
As for EMS in Columbia County, including Lake City, the ambulances will roll whenever and wherever they are called to service, Noah said. The department works within its budget.
In regard to calls for help, the county responded to almost 10,000 calls in the past year, Noah said. It covers all of Columbia County’s 779 square miles. Sometimes, when there are several calls at once, the response time is delayed, he said.
When response time is quicker, one can expect a better outcome for the patient. While everyone would like to have an ambulance on the corner where they live when they need one, it is not possible economically, he said.
Firefighters help EMS as first responders, Noah said, especially when calls are stacked up for help.
“Firefighters as first responders help stabilize patients,” Noah said. “They are wonderful. They are patient-savers when we are stacked (with calls). They really do a lot to help out.”
Firefighters in action
When 911 dispatch is called because of a life-threatening medical emergency in Columbia County or Lake City, it is not just Columbia County Emergency Medical Services ambulances that launch into action.
The city and county firefighters respond.
Lake City Fire Chief Carlton Tunsil and Assistant Chief Frank Armijo spoke about the city firefighting service related to EMS.
The city has oxygen and defibrillators on firetrucks. Firefighters provide basic life support. They open airways and stabilize patients.
“We do a lot at an accident — not just patient care,” Armijo said. “Patients come first, though.”
City firefighters spray foam or water to reduce fire potential. They stabilize crashed vehicles. They “remove the vehicle from the victim” when it comes to extrication, Armijo said.
They remove oil to prevent the road from being slick and causing another accident. They set up a landing zone for helicopter transport. They drive the ambulance when both EMS personnel are required in the back of the ambulance.
Firefighters sometimes must place a fire engine between a vehicle and oncoming traffic to reduce the danger, Armijo said.
Working together
Armijo noted that EMS supplies the city fire teams with oxygen and other medical supplies. Everyone works together, he said.
“We love to see EMS at our house fires or hazmat scenes too,” he said. “Their presence gives us peace of mind.”
Columbia County Fire Department Division Chief David Boozer spoke about county firefighters’ duties in relation to saving lives, beyond the realm of dousing flames. They perform the same jobs as their brethren in the city.
All three agencies’ leaders said the men and women on all of the teams work for the good of the people, and they do so without boundaries from city limits.
“Life safety is our number one requirement,” Boozer said. “We can build buildings every day, but we can’t build people. We’re doing everything we can to sustain life.”
Automatic defibrillators are included at the eight fire stations in the county, and will be at the station soon to be under construction, Boozer said. Whether the Columbia County firefighter is paid or is a volunteer, they are certified as first responders at the least.
Many paid and volunteer firefighters are also either an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) or a paramedic, Boozer said.
Strategic locations
In relation to medical matters, CCFD firefighters answer calls for help at traffic accidents, heart attacks, respiratory emergencies, and any other life-threatening emergency, Boozer said.
The CCFD staff take off from eight stations. Stations are known as “career,” “career/reserve” or “reserve” stations. “Career” means paid firefighters and “reserve” means volunteer firefighters.
Here are the locations where CCFD stations exist:
nStation 40 Branford Highway and Bascom Norris Drive (career)
n Station 41 Deep Creek area (reserve)
nStation 42 Suwannee Valley (career/reserve)
n Station 43 Pine Mount (career/reserve)
nStation 44 Columbia City (reserve)
nStation 45 Ellisville (career/reserve)
n Station 46 Fort White (career/reserve)
nStation 47 Lulu (reserve)
Station 48 will be a
career station, Boozer said. It will be off U.S. Highway 441 South and Racetrack Road. Construction is anticipated to start in September, he said, and the CCFD is hoping to see it completely built within six months after that, Boozer said.
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Bob wrote on Aug 10, 2008 6:54 PM:
These men are no more over worked than any other hard working stiff trying to make a living so their family will have something to eat.
Society needs to stop this classification of hero on these jobs, e.g Police, Fire, EMT, and others.
Remember - they do have a choice.
To be continued... "