This
past Saturday morning I got a call from a local restaurant owner who
asked me pointedly, “What's going on with our ambulance service?”
She then began to relate to me that one of her customers was in need
of medical assistance and had laid on the floor “for nearly an
hour” before an ambulance arrived. If you read this past week's
Chetek Alert you may have caught the article Short of EMTs, Nov 7
medical 911 calls had longer response times (Section A, Page 5)
which gives a more detailed account of the particular circumstances
that led to the unique situation of an unconscious man waiting nearly
50 minutes before medical personnel arrived. What gives, you ask?
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Read all about it (Chetek Alert)
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Well,
first let's be clear: The City of Chetek does not run the
ambulance service. We
do not run the fire department either. Both entities are run by
commissions made up of representatives from the city and the
surrounding townships which contract with the ambulance and the fire
department for services. Chief Ryan Olson is not
a city employee, either. The only departments that we truly own are
the police department and the department of public works. Otherwise,
we're a paying customer just like the other neighboring townships
are.
Given
the fact that our subsidy for ambulance services was north of $40K in
2020 and looks to be a little more than $46K in 2021, shouldn't we
expect 24/7 emergency services? I had a conversation with Chief
Olson this morning about the ambulance service in general and about
November 7 in particular.
According
to Olson, nation-wide volunteer departments like Chetek's are in the
same boat scrambling to fill their shifts. There are just not as many
EMTs out there as there once were. At the present time there are 23
individuals on his roster all of which are part-time. That is,
driving the ambulance or riding shot-gun is not their full time gig.
Many of these same individuals are already working in the health care
field and are often picking up extra hours at their present place of
employment. Only three of the twenty-three live within the city
limits. The rest hail from around the county and, in one case,
another state.
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| The log says it all |
Due
to the demographics of our current roster, the main challenge for Olson is filling evening or weekend shifts. As The
Alert
reported, on the weekend of the 7th
our own ambulance service was out of service (on account of lack of
staff to work the weekend). At the time that the 911 call was placed
for the patron at our local restaurant, there were already four
ambulances in Chetek responding to calls between 9:30-10 a.m.:
Marshfield Medical Center (Rice Lake), Mayo (Barron), Bloomer
Community (Bloomer) and Rusk County (Bruce) (and therefore the
48-minute wait time before help arrived). It was, if you will, a
“perfect storm.” All total there were 11 EMS calls made this past
weekend where help had to come from elsewhere to assist those here
with medical care.
Olson
explained to me that by ordinance the Chetek Ambulance Service does
not triage care. That means that if a 911 call comes in for a student
with a broken arm at the school and shortly afterward a call comes in
on account of a major accident out on Highway 53, they respond to the
incident at school as it is literally 'first come, first serve.' Only
dispatch can re-direct them otherwise.
And
I haven't even mentioned how the reality of Covid-19 is placing even
greater stress on an already undermanned force. In the last week
alone there were 30 calls just for Meadowbrook alone. The ice, as it
were, is getting pretty thin.
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20% of the time
CAS is out of service |
In
my conversations with local commissioners they assure me that what
happened last weekend won't happen again but given the reality of the
current health emergency we are all living with I'm not sure they can
promise that. In the meantime the city is exploring its options
regarding contracting with another ambulance service. That's not
meant to be a threat. But the fact that 65% of our population are
senior citizens, generally the most medically frail in our community,
we should do what we can to make sure that the very best service we
can afford is available when someone picks up the phone and dials
911.
If
you would like to speak with Chief Ryan Olson of the Chetek Ambulance
Commission (CAC) you may do so by calling 715-764-5788.
If
you would like to speak to the City's representative on the CAC,
please call Alderman Mark Edwards at 715-914-9122.
As
always you may call the Mayor to lodge your concern about this matter
and any other matter by calling 715-925-6078.
