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Second paramedic gives Russell added protection
(by Joan Demirjian - January 28, 2010)
Second paramedic gives Russell added protection
By JOAN DEMIRJIAN
Russell Township Trustees approved a proposal last week by Fire Chief John Frazier to pay a second paramedic for the evening and early morning hours. The move ensures adequate personnel for emergency calls in those hours.
Currently, from 5 to 8 a.m., there is one paramedic who is paid to be on call, Mr. Frazier said. Additional fire department volunteers are relied on to respond to the calls.
However, with changing times, it is difficult today to rely strictly on volunteers, Mr. Frazier said. So another paid person is needed to cover calls at night and on weekends, he said.
The Russell Fire Department has one full-time paid person at the station during the day, along with three paid part-time staffers, with a total of four on duty for the daytime.
A need for a second paid responder exists during nighttime hours, Mr. Frazier said.
The additional part-time person who is on call will be paid from $9 to $12 an hour for a call, depending on whether the person is an emergency medical technician or paramedic.
Additional staffing will be in place March 1.
"The volunteer fire service is in crisis, struggling for existence," Mr. Frazier said. Sustaining volunteer fire departments today is difficult, he said.
"It's not unique to us," Mr. Frazier said of the volunteer situation among fire departments. "It's a national problem. And small communities don't have the funding to do a full-time department."
Trustee James Mueller said people who still have jobs are not in a position to volunteer, while those who are laid off, are looking for jobs and cannot commit to volunteer duty.
"Volunteerism has dropped dramatically," Mr. Mueller said. By paying another person to have two on call nights and weekends will offset times of being shorthanded when volunteers do not respond, he said.
He said he does not have a problem with paying $90,000 per year to have someone respond.
However, he said, "It's going to be a belt-tightening effort."
Cost of the additional staffing is expected to be about $90,000 per year.
A good portion of the funds to pay for the additional part-time person on duty will be derived from the department's ambulance billing program, Mr. Frazier said.
The department charges for ambulance transports of nonresidents and residents, whose insurance companies pay the charges.
"It's paid for by the insurance, and is not an out-of-pocket expense," Mr. Frazier said. If a township resident is not insured, the department does not seek payment nor does it seek the co-pay portion of the bill from a resident.
After five years of the billing practice, he recommended the township evaluate a nominal increase in the billing.
Resident Charles Butters said the situation involving relying on volunteers in today's society points to the need for discussions of regionalism in the area for services.
Asked if there is an incentive program for volunteers who do show up for calls, Mr. Frazier said there is a clothing allowance. Even so, there was a decline when the volunteers acquired all the clothing, he said.
They switched to cash, but even then, there was a decline, Mr. Frazier said. There have been many studies on why people volunteer, he said. "There are different motivations. It is hard to put a finger on it," he said.
Mr. Mueller said paying a person to be on call ensures there are enough people to respond to emergencies.
"Our main concern is the residents," he said. "We have to do anything we can to better serve the community at large."
Trustee James Dickinson also said the fire departments are on "borrowed time" in regards to using volunteers because demographics have changed.
It is a fact of life, and the township has to address it, he said. Paying another on-call paramedic is one way to do that, and the money is there to pay it.
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