Iola Fire Chief Tim Thyer told Allen County commissioners Tuesday countywide ambulance is short-handed based on eight-person shifts and that he would prefer a return to nine on duty.
At one time shifts had 10 people on duty, and having nine would permit more latitude in dealing with staffing issues, Thyer said.
Thyer said currently four people are stationed in Iola and two each in Humboldt and Moran, with a paramedic assigned to each station.
Thyer also said the department doesn’t have enough paramedics.
“It’s time to sit down and look at changes in ambulance language and service,” Commissioner Tom Williams said, noting that realignment in state Emergency Medical Service could come into play and ease local concerns about having a paramedic on duty at each of the three stations 24 hours a day.
“The county did that at times when they ran the service,” he said. Paramedics are trained to a higher degree than EMTs, and have the ability to make more medical decisions.
“We can draw up guidelines and bring them to you with options for individual service,” Thyer said, with nine-person shifts the objective.
The ambulance commentary evolved after Michael Burnett introduced himself to commissioners as interim director of the ambulance service. He was appointed by Iola council members Aug. 8 after Ryan Sell resigned to concentrate on paramedic and firefighter duties. Burnett had directed the service when the county ran it.
BARBARA ANDERSON told commissioners six people could have substantial portions of their student loans repaid if employers would step forward to take advantage of the county’s designation as a Rural Opportunity Zone. Anderson works for the Kansas Department of Commerce.
Here’s how it works:
If a person has lived outside of Kansas for five years and returns to a ROZ county, KDOC will match up to $1,500 a year per person a county’s contribution for repayment of student loans. The program is meant to help reverse the brain drain — students being educated in Kansas and then leaving for employment elsewhere.
When the county joined the program in 2013, it made available $1,500 a year, which is taking care of one person.
Anderson’s visit was prompted by the fact the county’s participation in ROZ expires this year. Commissioners said they would have County Counselor Alan Weber examine the document and deal with it at next Tuesday’s meeting.
The six people Anderson mentioned have accumulative annual debt of $8,180.
