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Stevensville fire volunteers say training cuts left town short on EMS response
Summary
Fire department volunteers told the Stevensville Town Council on Aug. 14 that training funds were cut two years in a row, leaving the department understaffed for emergency medical service calls and producing 11 missed EMS calls in July.
Stevensville — Fire department volunteers told the Stevensville Town Council on Aug. 14 that cuts to volunteer training funds have left the department understaffed and unable to answer some emergency medical service (EMS) calls.
Volunteers’ comments came during the council’s review of department reports for July and the town’s budget discussions.
Fire Department representative Jack said the department logged 78 requests for service in July, 61 of which were medical calls, and recorded 11 missed EMS calls. “We are not manpowered or staffed, to make those calls,” Jack said. He added that training an emergency medical technician (EMT) requires roughly 120 hours and costs about $1,200 to $1,800, and that reimbursements that traditionally occurred after certification were cut. “For 2 years in a row now, council's not seeing fit to fund training for their fire department,” Jack said.
Jack told the council the department’s roster has fallen from about 28 members historically to about 14 members now and that the shortage is affecting response times. He also said volunteers sometimes must wait for the ambulance from Darby for advanced life support calls. “When you're waiting for that ambulance to come from Darby, it could be a long wait,” Jack said.
Council members did not take formal action during the report. The fire representative characterized the current budget as “not final approved” and said if training funds remain cut, the department will be unable to sustain its current level of EMS service. Jack noted prior practice of reimbursing volunteers after they obtained certification, which he said did not occur for three volunteers last year.
The council did not vote on new funding during the meeting; council members and staff will consider the town budget in later sessions.
The fire department report also listed other July activity, including 14 fires and three vehicle crashes. Jack said the department runs mutual-aid responses with neighboring jurisdictions when necessary.
