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Big changes bode well for BAS in 2018 |
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January 8, 2018 |
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Boundary Ambulance Service (BAS) will begin 2018
with two new additions to its normal operations.
Chief Jeff Lindsey says both are vitally
important to the community we serve.
“We have an opportunity to expand our Advanced
Life Support services as well as provide
preventative prehospital medicine to our
community with our current staff without having
to increase our budget," he said.
BAS will begin a Community Health Emergency
Medical Service (CHEMS) program with three of
its paramedics this month. All three paramedics
attended Community Paramedic Training through
Idaho State University, funded by a state grant
program.
The Community Paramedics will be partnering with
Boundary Community Hospital as well as local
clinics to assist with prehospital community
health needs.
The second change BAS announced is a partnership
with the South Boundary Fire Protection District
to house a BAS paramedic for increased coverage
to the southern portions of Boundary County. The
coverage provided will be on a temporary three
month trial and will be revisited by both BAS
and SBFPD Boards to see if the program should
continue.
“We looked to see where our busy areas were and
the southern end of the county is definitely one
of our busiest," Lindsey said. "I approached
Chief Tony Rohrwasser and pitched the idea of
housing one of our paramedics in a SBFPD
firehouse a few days a week. Chief Rohrwasser
took it to his fire commissioners, I took it to
my board of directors and both have agreed to
have this move forward on a three month trial.
We appreciate the SBFPD for helping us get our
busier areas covered without having to build new
stations. This is a huge step forward in trying
to strategically place resources, without having
huge costs associated ."
The move will place the southern areas of
Boundary County, including the busy Highway 95
corridor, closer to Advanced Life Support
coverage. |
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