Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
NORTHERN WYOMING NEWS/Karla Pomeroy Cody Regional EMT Mike St Clair (right) addresses a question during a public hearing about the proposed ambulance station. About 40 people attended the hearing. Standing up listening and also answering questions during the hearing were Phillip Franklin and Luke Sypherd.
WORLAND - During the public hearing for Washakie County's special exemption for an ambulance station on North Road 11, the Worland Board of Adjustment and Planning Commission allowed for a question-and-answer session with Cody Regional Health ambulance service personnel.
Phillip Franklin, emergency services director for Cody Regional Health, said they would work to mitigate any concerns from the public. He also asked those present that if they had concerns about any member of the crew to contact him.
In addressing a question and suggestion about why the county does not continue to rent housing for the ambulance crew Franklin said, "Right now the crews are not always where the ambulances are," which he said results in adding about five to six minutes to the response time.
Currently the county rents housing in the 800 block of Robertson, two blocks from where the ambulances are stationed most of the time at the Washakie County Public Health/Ambulance Garage across from the courthouse on Robertson.
He said occasionally they can park the ambulance in front of the rental home but because the ambulance service is now a paramedic service and can administer additional medications that emergency medical technicians can not they have more medication on the ambulance. Most of the medication needs a controlled environment and cannot be in extreme heat or cold.
He said the county proposal for the location would put the ambulances and crews together and decrease response time.
"We can be out the door responding in three minutes rather than six to seven minutes," Franklin said.
Regarding speeding to a call, quality supervisor Luke Sypherd said there are ongoing nationwide studies to determine if speeding with lights and sirens makes any significant difference in getting to a patient.
He said often times speeding can put the crews life in jeopardy and thus puts the patient at risk if they are unable to respond.
"Driving faster doesn't mean you actually cut time. Getting faster out the door is the best way to cut response time," Sypherd said, and the way to be faster out the door is having ambulances and crews together in one location.
Franklin said, "We are medical professionals. Driving the ambulance is a task, not a job. The key is quality care gets to a patient in a timely manner."
Franklin said Washakie County has four ambulances, two of which are housed at the fairgrounds and two at the station on Robertson, but he said depending on calls there can be up to five in the area.
When asked about turning off the back-up beepers when at the station if it is located at 603 North Road 11, Sypherd and Franklin said it is best if they never have to back-up and they have to abide by laws and regulations from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA).
Ambulance crew member Mike St Clair said there are always two crew members in an ambulance and if necessary at the station, one member can get out and be a back-up spotter so the back-up beepers can be turned off.
Franklin said the ambulances all have a switch to turn the beepers off.
He said the location on Road 11 has a large drive-through bay that can accommodate two ambulances and the best-case scenario is there would never be a need to back up at the location.
As the hearing neared conclusion, Franklin addressed the members of the public.
"This is plea from me to the community. When you look at it from where I'm standing one thing that concerns me is having our staff move in to a place where they are really not wanted or at the desired location.
"Our guys come here to provide care for the community. They love doing their job, they love being here," he said, adding that they spent a lot of resources getting qualified paramedics from around the country to fill the ambulance crews in Washakie County.
He added that they have many crew members who live in the community and were hired from the volunteer staff.
"They want to provide good quality care to the community. If you do have issues with our crews, regardless of the outcome of this, that they be directed to us, one of the supervisors. Our crews don't deserve this. They don't choose where they station. They don't choose where they are stationed at but they do want to be part of the community. I just ask that you do respect that of them," Franklin said.
