EMT-B class begins in fall
Staff writer
The Peabody ambulance crew is struggling to find emergency medical technicians to be on call at all hours, Marion County Emergency Medical Service Director Steve Smith told county commissioners Aug. 9.
An ambulance service needs one EMT-Basic to go on every call, he said. The other responder can be a first responder.
Three Peabody residents have signed up to take an EMT-B class beginning in the fall, but the class will not conclude until May 2011.
The most difficult time to find volunteers for is during the day, because many volunteers are unable to leave work, Smith said. In fact, all ambulance units in the county struggle to fill daytime shifts.
If the county is consistently unable to fill shifts with a volunteer ambulance service, the day may come when a full-time, paid service must be conisdered. Staffing ambulances with paid workers could be very costly, Smith said.
Full scholarships are available for people who take EMT-B classes. Certification requires 200 hours of training. For more information, contact Smith at (620) 382-3271.
Through seven months, EMS revenue is up about $40,000 compared to 2009 because of higher rates. Commissioners approved writing off $2,238 of uncollected bills.
Ambulance calls continue at a slower pace than in 2009. In July, ambulances responded to 84 calls, including 27 medical emergencies, 25 no-transports, 10 transfers, 10 standby calls, five motor vehicle accidents, five falls, and two cardiac emergencies.
Through seven months, the department has responded to 612 calls, down from 663 in 2009. No-transports also decreased from 2009 — 108 in 2010 compared to 129 in 2009.
The Marion ambulance unit responded to 32 calls; Hillsboro, 25; Peabody, 12; Florence, 12; Tampa, two; and the backup unit, one. Lincolnville first responders were called out four times; Florence, one; and Peabody, one.