Caledonia Argus

EMS Project improves emergency care in Houston County

Posted: 9/24/02

by Andrew Miller
Argus News Reporter

The Houston County EMS Workforce Development Project (EMS-WD) was founded in 2001 in order to ìassure quality rural ambulance services for Houston County residents by strengthening and integrating the EMS system.î

EMS-WD was created after Houston County Public Health Nursing Director Linda Grupa met with county medical staff, ambulance services, and the county sheriff in order to discern ways in which to improve citizen access to emergency medical services in Houston County. The sessions found that there was a need for more advanced communication equipment, as well as a need for adequate staffing.

With funds from the Rural Flexibility Grant Program, which provides ìfor the enhancement of rural health services,î EMS-WD was able to resolve the problems that Grupa and other county workers had identified. Houston County EMS staff were provided additional training, including courses in cold-water rescue awareness, air bag safety, agricultural trauma training, and emergency medical dispatch skills.

To address the issue of staffing shortages, members of EMS-WD explored a cooperative agreement that would allow staff sharing among Houston County medical agencies. In addition, an employer incentive program was devised. Since the bulk of Houston County EMS staff are volunteers, a partnership with local employers is paramount in maintaining the EMS program.

An appreciation banquet to acknowledge the valuable role played by Houston County EMS was a windfall for increasing the number of EMS staff. The banquet attracted the attention of potential personnel and, as a result, helped Houston County add nine first responders, increased the EMT staff in Spring Grove from five to 12, and added four new EMTs to the Caledonia staff. As a result of the banquet and the subsequent burgeoning of staff rosters, Houston County is now at full staffing for emergency medical services.

Funds from the Rural Flexibility Grant also allowed the county to update their emergency response equipment. Houston County purchased six pagers, six portable radios, and a four-channel base radio with paging capabilities.

The equipment upgrade has allowed emergency response services within the county to streamline the response process. Jail administrator Mark Schiltz noted, ìhaving a second console increases our capability to respond and communicate timely during a disaster or multi-injury event.î

Through intensive staff development and an equipment update made possible by the Rural Flexibility Grant, EMS-WD has met its goal of improving access to emergency medical services in Houston County and strengthening the EMS program.

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