The Round Table
departments
Does your department provide any type of emergency medical service for the people you serve? If so, just what type of service is it? And how is this service funded (taxes, fund raising, etc.?)
Donald L. Spaulding, Chief, St. Augustine and South Ponte Vedra, Fla.:
Yes, we respond to all motor vehicle accidents, drownings, heart attack victims , and any type of medical problem. We do not have an ambulance. We have two quick response fire and rescue squads. We give medical aid until an ambulance arrives. We have registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, EMTs and eight paramedics.
We are funded by one-half mill for fire and rescue and fund raising projects. We receive $10,000 a year from taxes and we raise an additional $6000. All our fire and medical personnel are volunteers.
George W. Erskine, Chief, St. Albans, W. Va.: The Lakewood Volunteer Fire Department is a small, all volunteer department manned by 26 fire fighters, including 10 EMTs. We cover a community of about 4000 people.
At the present time the only emergency medical service we offer is responding to all automobile accidents with injuries. The County of Kanawha furnishes the ambulance service for the western part of the county.
In the near future, we will be responding as
first responders for other emergency calls when the ambulance is going to be delayed, is out on another call, or when they feel that more help will be needed to back-up or assist the ambulance squad.
We receive some money from the county government but most of our money comes from donations from the people in our area. The only thing that we receive for our EMS is the thanks that the people give us and the thought that we may have helped save a life.
R. Childers, Chief, Eagan, Minn.: As
a volunteer fire department, we have a rescue squad composed of fire fighters. We have two heavy duty rescue rigs to cover our town. Our ambulance service is provided by a hospital which houses an ambulance and fulltime paramedics at one of our fire stations. The fire department is totally tax supported. The ambulance service is private, but subsidized by the city.
Cave J. Thomas, Chief, Lone Oak, Kent.:
We have three emergency medical technicians. All of our firemen are trained in first aid. Our service is funded by taxes.
Ralph E. McAllister, Chief, Moscow, Id.: Yes, we provide full emergency ambulance service with three ambulances. We have 15 EMTs licensed in Idaho and Washington, as well as full extrication equipment.
The ambulance service is licensed by the state of Idaho. The ambulances and equipment are completely owned and operated by the Moscow Volunteer Fire Department. Volunteers are not paid (not even a call pay), and the department doesn’t receive tax monies or subsidies of any kind. Funding is provided by a $35 base rate plus $1 a mile, one-way outside city limits.
Merlin Olson, Chief, Fremont, Neb.:
The Fremont Fire Department has two rescue squads to assist its citizens with emergency medical services. Squads are manned most of the time by EMTs. We also have a squad equipped for water search, and the rescue is manned by certified divers. Two of the squads have life support equipment; one squad also has heavy rescue equipment and the jaws of life.
K.W. Bud Simpson, Chief, Bozeman, Mont.: We have a private ambulance service here in Bozeman. Although we respond to emergency calls within the city limits, we do not transport. We work closely with the ambulance service from time to time. The private service is funded primarily by the county with some contributions from the city, plus monthly billing to the recipient.
Thomas R. Walsh, Captain, Forest Park, Ill.: The Forest Park Fire Department operates an ambulance which is equipped with everything except telemetry equipment. We do not have paramedics.
This ambulance is partially funded by the state, and therefore we are operating with nine EMTs. Two EMTs respond to every call for assistance. The ambulance service is funded through taxes.
Philip E. Crombie, Chief, South Windsor, Conn.: The only medical service we provide is extrication from motor vehicle accidents. We have a number of certified EMTs who are members of our rescue squad and they provide medical assistance in extrication work . This service is funded out of our regular budget which is derived from tax revenues.
James W. Clarke, Captain, Methuen,
Mass.: The City of Methuen operates two
ambulance vehicles manned by EMT fire fighters. Both emergency and non-ambulatory service is provided at no charge to the residents. The service is funded by property taxes and charges are made to non-resident users.
Norman Maze, Chief, Havre, Mont.:
We run the emergency medical service out of the fire station with two ambulances. Our men are trained EMTs as well as fire fighters. The service is funded by taxes and also we charge the patient for the service($60 a roll out fee, plus $1.25 a loaded mile.)
John M Bradley, Sr., Chief, Hueytown, Al.: Yes, we do provide a paramedic service, which is funded by city taxes. We also provided emergency ambulance work for 10 years, however this service was abused, and consequently was discontinued by the city council.
Lloyd A. Strain, Director of Public Safety, Watertown, S.D.: Yes, we provide emer-
gency medical services. We man and operate two ambulances for both city and county patients. Our firefighters are all EMT trained. Our service is paid for by taxes.
Clifford A. Sturgeon, Chief, Plainville, Conn.: This department is on emergency standby for our Police Dept. We have at least six members who are able to answer calls. This service is funded by town taxes.
CHEMTREC Advisory Service
CHEMTREC, the Chemical Transportation Emergency Center, has been officially recognized by the Department of Transportation as the central emergency advisory service for hazardous materials transportation incidents.
A public service by the Chemical Manufacturers Association, CHEMTREC is designed to provide immediate information to fire officers and other public safety officials facing a chemical transportation emergency through its emergency phone number, 800424-9300.
The U.S. Coast Guard, through its National Response Center (NRC), maintains a reporting system to track emergencies involving hazardous substances. CHEMTREC will notify the NRC of emergencies involving hazardous materials. NRC will in turn notify CHEMTREC when the person reporting the incident needs information or advice which may be available through CHEMTREC.
Volunteers Meet
John Moehring of Stamford, Conn., received the annual service award at the National Volunteer Fire Council’s spring meeting held in Austintown, Ohio, on March 1.
Recognized for more than 50 years of service as a volunteer fireman in the Belltown Fire Department in Stamford, Moehring has also been an active member in the Connecticut State Firemen’s Association since 1941. He founded the Connecticut Fireman, a quarterly publication, in 1942 and also helped form the Fairfield County Fire Chiefs Emergency Plan, which he served as secretary.
In addition to award presentations, delegates discussed federal legislation affecting the volunteer fire service and council participation in NFPA committees.
Results of a research project on the death benefits programs and procedures in the event of injury or death of a volunteer fire fighter were presented by John Oiivari and John Williams.
