Resources placed to best serve community

As the new Bonner County EMS chief I had the privilege of speaking with two citizens this morning in the county commissioners meeting.  They asked questions and expressed concerns regarding issues that I am sure many of our citizens share.  They suggested that I write to the Bonner County Daily Bee in order to provide the whole community with the information I gave them.

Let me begin by saying that I welcome the input of any citizen or visitor to Bonner County. I have a true open door policy.  I am able and willing to discuss any matter not related to specific patient care or personnel matters. Every citizen has the right to know exactly what we are doing here including how we spend money and resources.

The specific inquiry today had to do with the observation of ambulances in retail store and restaurant parking lots.  In order to understand it is essential to know about how EMS agencies function in general and how Bonner County EMS functions in particular. Unlike most other jobs, EMS workers are often on a 24-hour or 48-hour shift.  At Bonner County EMS they are on for 48 hours, off for 96 hours and on again for another 48 hours. On McGhee Road we house 2 ambulances and what we call a paramedic fly car. This immediate area gets busy enough so often all of our resources are tied up on calls simultaneously.  At that location we generally have five people working together.  They sleep, train, respond to calls and eat meals together.  The station has sleeping quarters and a full kitchen.  Some meals are cooked here and eaten family style and others are in a local restaurant.

So given these circumstances, it may be understandable that you encounter these vehicles at the grocery store shopping for a group meal to be prepared in the station, at a restaurant to take another meal or at the hardware store to pick up supplies to perform station or vehicle maintenance.  Whenever the crews are at these locations they are prepared to respond to an emergency call in the same manner as when they are in the station.  In addition, all of these trips are done with the approval of the shift supervisor.

I hope this adequately explains the presence of our ambulances in various locations around town.

Rob Wakeley is chief of Bonner County Emergency Medical Services. The office is located at 355 McGhee Road. He can be reached by phone at (208) 255-2194, or by fax at (208) 263-0349.