Is a paid EMT in store for PC?

Is a paid EMT in store for Perkins County? That’s what county commissioners and fire department members discussed at length during the May 17 commissioner meeting.

By state statute, Perkins County is obligated to provide ambulance service in the county. 

As it stands now, the county pays for ambulance equipment, supplies, etc., but it’s the Grant Fire Department that operates the county service.

Fire Chief Rick Dreiling said their department has 11 EMTs. Some work out of town while others have obligations that make them unavailable during the day. Another two are on leave. 

As a result, it’s becoming more difficult personnel-wise to get the ambulance out the door when a call comes in.

One of the options under consideration calls for the county to hire a full-time EMT who would be on call from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. each weekday. 

That ensures that at least one EMT would be available to make the call. 

When Commissioner Sid Colson asked Dreiling how volunteer members would feel about having a paid EMT, Dreiling said the members would welcome it. 

Currently, former department member Bob Tatum serves part-time as the zoning administrator for the county. He also handles all of the billing for the county ambulance operation. 

He has indicated an interest in stepping down from the ambulance billing portion of the job along with doing zoning work on an as-needed basis. 

This would free up some dollars to possibly hire an EMT full time. 

Commissioner Steve Tucker said they have two EMTs and an ambulance in Venango. He added there are two EMTs in Elsie, along with another ambulance. There are no EMTs in Madrid. 

Fred Reichert, a fire department member and EMT, said they wanted to get discussion going now “so we can head this storm off before it gets to a point we don’t have any coverage.”

Another possibility would be to have Regional West’s ambulance service in Ogallala respond to calls in Perkins County. 

 All agreed that solution wouldn’t really fit because it’s 30 minutes to Grant and then another 30 if the call is in Venango or Elsie. 

Another option offered was to negotiate with Regional West or another provider to station a paramedic crew in Grant. 

“But obviously that’s going to cost you a lot of money” Reichman said. “So we’re trying to figure out that balance.” 

Right now, Reichman said department feels hiring a full-time EMT would be the best solution to make sure calls are covered.

To read the full story, subscribe by calling the Tribune at 308-352-4311 or sign up for an e-edition by clicking here.