Ambulance staffing requirement changes to address waits
Jennifer Bailey, Commercial-News, Danville, Ill.
5 min read
Oct. 26—DANVILLE — The two private ambulance services that operate in Danville come across times when they need backups.
The Danville City Council's Public Services Committee Tuesday night recommended approving an ordinance amending Danville city code regarding ambulance staffing requirements to help improve services. The amendment will go to the full city council on Nov. 7.
According to the ordinance, "the city council deems it appropriate and for the health, welfare and safety of the residents, businesses and visitors of the City of Danville to amend Section 111.06 in order to assure that a greater number of properly trained individuals are available to staff ambulances that operate within the City of Danville."
Danville Fire Chief Aaron Marcott said it's taking two years now for paramedic courses, instead of the previous six-to-eight week course, which is the same time as a nursing degree and fewer people are coming out as paramedics.
The city's two ambulance services, Arrow and Advanced Medical Transport, are now required to keep two Advanced Life Support units each in the city.
The change will allow the ambulance services to back up the two ALS units with Basic Life Support units.
Generally, a BLS unit includes emergency medical technicians, while an ALS unit also has a paramedic.
"That way we are not dropping as many calls as we are month to month; and at the same time, it's the stubbed toe versus the heart attack. So, they only have ALS units, so if they go to a stubbed toe and then they're out of service treating that patient, now there's no unit available and it has to come from a surrounding agency," Marcott said.
The BLS can handle more minor issues, while ALS units are available for more serious incidents. This will give the ambulance services more flexibility in their hiring and put more ambulances on Danville's streets, Marcott added.
When calls are dropped, a patient will have to wait for an ambulance from Bismarck or elsewhere that could be volunteer and that takes time, Marcott said.
"We're trying to reduce the time to get help," Marcott said.
The language being removed is: "The licensed ambulance service shall have on duty and available for immediate response in an approved ambulance at least two EMT-Bs (one per unit) and at least two EMT-Ps (one per unit); persons involved in transfer calls to or from points outside the city limits shall not be considered personnel available to meet this requirement while they are committed to such transfer call. For purposes of this section, an EMT-P may be counted as an EMT-B and a registered professional nurse/MICN, registered professional nurse/field RN, or physician may be counted as an EMT-P or EMT-B."
In other reports, firefighter Matthew Kosik was promoted to lieutenant; and city offices will be closed Friday, Nov. 10 in observance of Veterans Day.
In other business, the committee recommended approving:
* An ordinance enacting and adopting a supplement to the city's code of ordinances.
* The sale and disposal of a portable radio system. The Danville Fire Department owns 46 Motorola XTS 1500 Radios, 15 Motorola XTL 1500 Base Radios, 46 Motorola Batteries XTS 1500, 45 Portable Microphones XTS 1500, 26 Individual chargers for Motorola XTS 1500 Radios, and four Big Bank Radio Chargers. The fire department has replaced the radios.
* Selling a 1999 Pierce Dash fire apparatus, 75-foot ladder truck.
* Participation in the state's federal surplus property program for fire department equipment and supplies.
* Participation in Vermilion County Works for fire department training. According to the resolution, the fire department has limited fiscal resources available for required technical skills training of its members. The fire department has identified a local resource willing to award matching federal grants to provide the training. The city would be responsible for the hourly salaries of the employee and the Vermilion County Works Program would pay for the training course cost and associated materials (such as textbooks) to receive the training. This would only be used from time to time as funding is available, when qualified funding is needed and when funds are awarded by the American Jobs Center on a requested basis.
* Authorizing a $37,646 information systems budget amendment for new online computer service and software for the city's website, agenda and minutes management, mobile app and texting service with CivicPlus.
* Authorizing a $5,000 legal department budget amendment due to more service of summons with inspectors generating more cases; and $3,000 amendment for office supplies.
