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| Rotary Club President Wilma DeVore welcome EMS Chief Ken Baker as guest speaker Tuesday. |
Boundary Volunteer Ambulance (BVA) is a 501 C 3 nonprofit organization providing emergency medical services (EMS) support to individuals in Boundary County including facility-to-facility transfers, extrication services, community education (CPR, AED and first aid classes), and the “Vial of Life” program.
With an annual operating budget of $200,000, the organization bills third party insurers for services rendered and recovers most of its operating expenses. It operates five ambulances and two service vehicles stationed at four locations in the county.
The current needs of BVA are for additional funding and volunteers. Although there about 8-10 active members in the organization, and BVA needs volunteers to serve on the board of directors and to help out as drivers, fund raising events, etc.
Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) are classified according to their level of training – basic, intermediate or advanced. As of October 8, 2011, BVA had a roster of 38 individuals composed of one chief EMT, 17 basic EMTs, four advanced EMTs, six on probationary status, four students, and six drivers.
Training for a basic EMT could cost the student up to $1,800 for 150 hours of training plus the additional training necessary for hazmat classes, etc.
Walt Kirby discussed the proposal for establishinig a taxing district to support the ambulance service in the county. The funding, the number of active volunteers, and the level of sophistication concerning the equipment and apparatus are dismal at best. The situation is "overwhelming," according to Walt.
He described the Idaho Code as it relates to ambulance services. The commissioners are charged with providing ambulance services, he said. This is currently accomplished at a cost of approximately $8,000/year, which he called totally unsatisfactory.
They could, he said, create a taxing district and place the provision of ambulance services on the tax rolls.
Currently the commissioners are analyzing the data that would, of necessity, include employed EMTs, and will be considering candidates for a dynamic board of directors who know and understand operations.
Several questions were raised relating to these matters of life or death.
Because ambulance service is so critical to the matters of life or death, it would appear that a taxing district would gain wide public support. If the funds are not there to support the services, if the personnel are not trained adequately or are not actively involved, and/or if the equipment and other apparatus is inadequate, outdated and obsolete, there appears to be a need to move forward with a plan to correct the deficiencies associated with the current situation.
Additional information can be found on their website at http://www.boundarycountyfire.com/bv/bv.php.