EMT City Administrator

The future looks brighter for Retford's threatened ambulance station after service bosses agreed to work alongside local campaigners to find a solution. Save Our Station (SOS) spokeswoman and ward councillor Adele Mumby had a meeting with EMAS chief executive Phil Milligan in which the proposed closure of Retford's North Road ambulance base was discussed. The ex-town mayor put forward suggestions which could see the five-bay building saved from the restructurer's axe. "I have a few ideas that Mr Milligan agreed were worth looking into - it seems likely that the nearest 'hub' could remain in Worksop rather than Mansfield, so Retford would still have to lose its facilities to re-stock the vehicles," said the East Retford North representative. The issue EMAS have is to do with the cost of keeping open a building that only has two of the five bays in use; but he agreed North Road is a good location." Although EMAS chiefs have considered moving the ambulance fleet into a 'shared hub' with other emergency services, Adele has suggested that firefighters currently based at the Wharf Road fire station could instead relocate to the more accessible North Road facility's surplus bays. "There is an issue with traffic and access at the fire station site, from North Road it is easy to get out of the town. Mr Milligan is going to ask his planners to look into the idea as he has agreed that our present location is the best." "At the moment, it is looking like Retford has a good chance of remaining open, with some reduced services, while Worksop will be the 'hub'. I'd like to thank everyone who has supported SOS - this progress shows what we can do if we work together, " she added. EMAS has extended the consultation period until it makes a decision on Retford's future. A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article Click here to view the article

By Susan McCord, The Augusta Chronicle, Ga. Feb. 02--Augusta Commission member Grady Smith has recent firsthand experience with the city's ambulance service provider, Gold Cross. The Augusta Chronicle When he lost two pints of blood after a stitch in his foot burst last month, Smith was glad that Gold Cross emergency medical technicians arrived quickly and whisked him away to a hospital, where he remained for two weeks. "Those fellows were first class. They did a great job," Smith said. He questions whether Augusta-Richmond County Fire Department first responders, despite similar training, could have handled his situation so well. "Send me the man or the team that can do the job," he said. Good reputation aside, momentum is building among other commissioners to revisit the city's 8-year-old Gold Cross contract, which requires the city give nine months' notice if it plans to re-bid the service. The effort, most are quick to say, isn't a referendum on Gold Cross but rather the city's inability to gauge the quality of the service. A push to review the contract, initiated by Fire Chief Chris James after he was promoted last year, gained steam after Gold Cross applied to become Augusta's primary zone provider, which would have allowed it to bypass the city's 911 office and run ambulance service without a contract. The application was rejected. James' primary issues with the contract are that it offers no guarantees that Gold Cross provide the city with response times, maintain a minimum number of ambulances in Augusta, use Advanced Life Support units, or inform the city where the trucks are located or unavailable, contrary to a Georgia Emer­­gen­cy Management Agen­cy program specifying that all have vehicle locators aboard. "We have a new fire chief, and of course he's going to evaluate that," Mayor Pro Tem Corey Johnson said. "It wasn't about anybody not doing their job, or anything like that." Johnson speculated that in 2005, when the contract was written, the guarantees James now seeks were uncommon. That year, the city selected Gold Cross at a $1.9 million annual fee over American Medical Response, which proposed a $400,000 fee, while previous provider Rural Metro declined to submit a proposal. "The contract is old and poorly written, just like all the other contracts we're dealing with." Commissioner Bill Lockett said, "We were not wanting to review the contract for any perceived poor performance." Commissioner Wayne Guil­foyle said the review of the Gold Cross contract is only the first of many he hopes the commission will take "to make sure they are competitive. Like (Commissioner Alvin) Mason said, Gold Cross won't be knocked out if they come in competitively." Commissioner Donnie Smith said his biggest concern was that a study committee assigned to review the contract might lack knowledge and objectivity. "What I want to know before I vote is who is going to be on this panel and whether they are qualified to be there," said Smith, a lieutenant with the Georgia State Patrol. "I don't think people who are laymen should be on this committee." Smith suggested asking emergency management directors or other public safety professionals from outside Augusta to help determine what it needs. "I don't want there to be any taint toward the contract," he said. "My biggest concern is whether the current contract needs to be updated," said Com­mis­sioner Bill Fennoy, who worked in public health for years. "Whether the service we are requesting is adequate and whether it meets the needs of the citizens of Rich­mond County. Whoever gets the contract at this particular point in time is not as important to me as the services that we are requesting, and what needs to be added or deleted." Besides Grady Smith, the least skeptical of the commissioners is Marion Williams, the only one to have served on the commission that hired Gold Cross and who led the city's public safety committee at the time. "I think once you hire a service, you let them provide the service," Williams said. "I can't get mad because somebody got a lesser contract than I did." Still, Williams was receptive Thursday to reviewing the agreement. "I think it's time to look at the contract, to see what we've got," he said. City Administrator Fred Russell, who signed off on the existing contract, said former 911 Director Phil Wasson was most involved in crafting it. Russell said the agreement, while in need of updating, hadn't failed residents. "I don't remember receiving any complaints in the last several years regarding EMS services," Russell said. "People here are not afraid to complain." ___ ©2013 The Augusta Chronicle (Augusta, Ga.) Visit The Augusta Chronicle (Augusta, Ga.) at chronicle.augusta.com Distributed by MCT Information Services A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article Click here to view the article

By Matt Lloyd; Anuji Varma A PARAMEDIC has been hailed a hero after helping rescue a woman from a burning Birmingham bungalow. Danielle Prosser, aged 25, had been called out to Sunderton Road, in Kings Heath, on Saturday after reports of someone having a cardiac arrest. But she discovered smoke inside the fire-hit property, where a woman in her 50s was unconscious and suffering burns. She said: "I wasn't told anything (about a fire) so to walk in and see a lady burnt and struggling for life was a shock. I knew I needed to intervene, but I knew I needed to get her out first." Danielle dragged the woman to safety with the help of her husband, who had also been burned. The paramedic then began medical treatment until ambulance and fire service colleagues arrived moments later. "I just acted on instinct," said modest Danielle, from Solihull. The woman was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital with serious burns. Her husband had burns to his hands and was suffering from smoke inhalation. James Williams, the Paramedic Area Support Officer who attended the incident, said: "We are very proud of Danielle, risking her own life to save others." Originally published by By Matt Lloyd and Anuji Varma. © 2013 Evening Mail; Birmingham (UK). Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved. A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article Click here to view the article

By Laura Italiano Some two dozen angry uniformed city emergency workers packed a Manhattan courtroom yesterday as a Brooklyn prosecutor took a no- jail plea for drunkenly assaulting a female EMT who was just trying to help him. "I have no memory of that night . . . no memory of being in the ambulance," Assistant District Attorney Michael Jaccarino, 30, told a judge as he took his plea, which his lawyer said will result in his being fired from the Brooklyn DA's Office. "That's what makes this so difficult," he told Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Melissa Crane, who ordered him to serve 10 days' community service and complete an alcohol program over the next six months. "That being said," Jaccarino continued, "I am accepting full responsibility. It's not going to happen again." He added, "I feel absolutely horrible and devastated by what happened." The victim, Teresa Soler, 46, of Yonkers, had told cops that Jaccarino was so violent that night, as he was picked up stumbling drunk on the Brooklyn Bridge, that she thought she was going to die as he jammed his forearm into her throat trying to escape from the moving ambulance. Emergency workers had hoped for felony charges, none less so than Soler herself, who said the assault will have a lasting effect on EMTs' confidence in the judicial system's ability to protect them as they treat belligerent drunks in the future. She also didn't buy Jaccarino's courtroom display of remorse. "I'm not buying it. It didn't look sincere; it didn't sound sincere," Soler said outside court. "He's been an upright citizen 20 years? So have I. Where is my justice?" Jaccarino is an embarrassment to the legal system, she said. But prosecutors said the misdemeanor disposition was arrived at after a lengthy, detailed investigation - involving interviews with police witnesses, the victim's partner, the victim herself, and bartenders who had served Jaccarino that night. Prosecutor Sherita Walton told the judge her office's investigation "revealed that the defendant was intoxicated to such an extent that it would be difficult to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he acted intentionally, which is required to sustain the instant felony charge." Prosecutors took into account Jaccarino's clean record, she said. "He is paying the price. He is no longer going to be an assistant district attorney, I can assure everyone in this courtroom of that," Jaccarino's lawyer, Gary Farrell, said. The Brooklyn DA's Office would not confirm it had taken action beyond suspending the prosecutor. laura.italiano@nypost.com Originally published by Laura Italiano. © 2013 The New York Post. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved. A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article Click here to view the article

By Nick Sambides Jr., Bangor Daily News, Maine Feb. 09--LINCOLN, Maine -- Town leaders will hold a special meeting next week to consider a plan to start an ambulance service that would generate $90,000 in annual revenue for the town, interim Town Manager William Lawrence said Friday. The town would carry no cost for the service and put the revenue into a Lincoln Fire Department reserve account to offset wages and purchases of equipment, Lawrence said in a statement. The Town Council will review the plan at 6 p.m. Monday. Lawrence said he hoped councilors will approve it. "It's a good plan," he said Friday. Penobscot Valley Hospital CEO David Shannon has said that the Lincoln hospital is considering leaving the ambulance business because of a lack of profit. It handles most of the emergency and patient transfer calls in the Lincoln Lakes region, he has said. East Millinocket Fire Department workers would partner with Lincoln to replace PVH's service. East Millinocket would carry all expenses and oversee the program, Lawrence said. East Millinocket Fire Chief Les Brown requests space for two ambulances at the Lincoln Public Safety building. Lincoln firefighters would drive the ambulance for in-town emergencies and transports, Lawrence said. East Millinocket would pay the overtime expenses to call in a Lincoln firefighter to cover for the on-staff engineer during ambulance calls or emergencies, Lawrence said. Brown said he would speak about the matter on Monday. East Millinocket Board of Selectmen Chairman Clint Linscott declined to comment on the plan, referring comment to Brown. Shannon said Friday he was "waiting to see what happens" between East Millinocket and Lincoln before commenting. The $90,000 figure is based upon an estimated 1,200 emergencies and patient transports, Lawrence said. East Millinocket also would handle service billing, paramedic or EMT ambulance staffing and payroll. Under Brown's leadership, East Millinocket's service has grown from one to six ambulances serving northern Penobscot County. ___ ©2013 the Bangor Daily News (Bangor, Maine) Visit the Bangor Daily News (Bangor, Maine) at www.bangordailynews.com Distributed by MCT Information Services A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article Click here to view the article

By Tim Chitwood and Mike Owen, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer Feb. 12--Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson confirmed Tuesday that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is currently serving search warrants at the Columbus Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services headquarters at the Public Safety Center. Authorities familiar with the investigation confirm a 2010 fatal day care fire is one of the issues the GBI is investigating. A GBI official confirmed they are primarily looking into the way the fire department handled documents. The official said someone contacted the district attorney's office about a month ago. District Attorney Julia Slater released a statement Tuesday afternoon confirming the GBI served a search warrant for "specific records and documentation." "Agents also began conducting interviews with specific department employees and members of the command staff," Slater said in the release. "... District Attorney Slater requested GBI assistance after receiving information indicating that department employees may have committed criminal acts involving the creation, maintenance and accuracy of official reports and documents." The release said the investigation is ongoing and no further information is expected to be released at this time. Tomlinson, who was in Columbus Council this morning, also serves as the Public Safety Director and oversees the fire and EMS department. "The mayor's office was made aware of the initiation of an investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation related to the Columbus, Georgia, Fire And Emergency Services Department," Tomlinson said in a statement. "It is our understanding that the investigation is ongoing. The office of the mayor and the Columbus Consolidated Government stand ready to facilitate the GBI in any way." One toddler was killed as a result of the Mill Branch Road home day care fire that occurred Feb. 26, 2010. Michael Duvard Jr., three days short of his second birthday, died the day after the fire at the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, Ga. Then Muscogee County Coroner Bill Thrower said Duvard died of complications from injuries sustained in the fire. The boy was one of nine children at a Mill Branch Road home that was found engulfed in flames shortly after 1:30 p.m.. Four of the children were injured and transported for treatment; three of them -- including Duvard -- were flown to the Augusta burn center. Besides the children, there were two adults in the house, which was used as a day care center. ___ ©2013 the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer (Columbus, Ga.) Visit the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer (Columbus, Ga.) at www.ledger-enquirer.com Distributed by MCT Information Services A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article Click here to view the article

By Laurence Hammack, The Roanoke Times, Va. Feb. 19--Prosecutors cannot seize the ambulances and other property of a Southwest Virginia volunteer rescue squad after its acquittal on charges of health care fraud, a federal judge has ruled. Such an effort "would seem to run counter to the interests of justice," U.S. District Judge James Jones wrote in denying an effort by the government to forfeit assets of the Saltville Rescue Squad. The small-town rescue squad and its president, Eddie Louthian Sr., had been charged with cheating Medicare and a private insurance company out of nearly $1 million by using ambulances to repeatedly transport three patients to and from dialysis treatment without a legitimate medical reason. To do that, prosecutors claimed, Louthian and other rescue squad members fabricated billing statements to make it appear the patients were bedridden and in need of an ambulance, when in fact they were capable of making the half-hour trip to a dialysis center on their own. The case is just one in a larger effort to crack down on health care fraud in Western Virginia and beyond. In September, a jury in U.S. District Court in Abingdon convicted Louthian of health care fraud but acquitted the rescue squad of similar charges. Prosecutors nonetheless argued that the organization's assets were proceeds of the crime and thus subject to forfeiture. In an opinion posted Monday, Jones approved a monetary judgment against Louthian for $907,521, the total amount illegally billed to Medicare and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. But the judge rejected an attempt by prosecutors to take four ambulances and other rescue squad property in which Louthian had no financial interest. "It is noteworthy that all of the property the government seeks to forfeit is owned by the Rescue Squad, which was acquitted of all charges," Jones wrote. However, his ruling turned on a finer point of the law: the government's inability to show that the items it sought to forfeit could be traced to Louthian's fraud. Because a rescue squad savings account used to buy the ambulances contained some legitimate funds, "there is no reliable way of knowing whether the assets were purchased with the fraud proceeds rather than with the untainted money," Jones wrote. Prosecutors have argued that other members of the rescue squad submitted false billing records. The Medicare reimbursements were then used to purchase land and equipment for the squad, they argued. "While the squad was acquitted of criminal wrongdoing, such does not entitle it to retain a windfall of over $900,000, comprised largely of taxpayer money," special Assistant U.S. Attorney Janine Myatt wrote in legal papers detailing the government's case. Louthian's attorney, Michael Khouri, had earlier voiced concerns that the prosecution could put the rescue squad out of business. Khouri and a second attorney representing the rescue squad could not be reached for comment Monday. Louthian is awaiting sentencing and faces up to 45 years in prison. The case is part of a larger effort to recover money lost to health care fraud, which amounts to between 3 percent and 10 percent of total health care expenses annually, according to the FBI. The cost of health care nationally was an estimated $2.4 trillion in 2012. ___ ©2013 The Roanoke Times (Roanoke, Va.) Visit The Roanoke Times (Roanoke, Va.) at www.roanoke.com Distributed by MCT Information Services A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article Click here to view the article

By Matt Lloyd A DEVASTATED husband revealed how he returned home with Champagne on the day he retired to discover his wife had died in a road smash with an ambulance. Terry Williams told an inquest how mum-of-two Wendy had been looking forward to Christmas with her family before her tragic death. The 60-year-old, from Castle Bromwich, died when she pulled out in front of an ambulance car on the Tamworth Road, Lichfield. Paramedic Kevin Webster, who hit speeds of over 70mph as he responded to a 999 call, was later found not guilty of causing death by careless driving by a jury. At an inquest yesterday, South Staffs coroner Andrew Haigh said the pensioner had died as a result of a tragic accident on December 23, 2009. Giving evidence Mr Williams, 63, a former consultant engineer, said: "I retired on the same day after 40 years working. "I came home with Champagne and retirement gifts, 30 minutes later there were two policemen on the doorstep telling me she'd been killed. "She was a very active lady, she always looked forward to Christmas and loved having the family around for Christmas. "I'm sure she was looking forward to the holiday break." Witnesses told the hearing they saw Mr Webster's Vauxhall Vectra ambulance car travelling at speed on blue lights and sirens. But Mrs Williams's Ford Ka pulled out just yards in front of him at the junction of Quarry Hill Lane. Giving evidence, the paramedic - who was cleared at trial in 2011 - said he had no chance to stop and didn't expect Mrs Williams to pull out of the junction. He said: "Initially when I saw the car it was in the junction. As I travelled along the road the car appeared to pull out, stop, then it made a second movement. "That was the last movement, it pulled out from the junction. "I applied the brakes quite sharpish but unfortunately still impacted the car." Since her death, Mrs Williams' family have called on West Midlands Ambulance Service to impose speed limits on drivers and bring training in line with that of police emergency drivers. The inquest heard a new ambulance policy now advised drivers not to exceed the speed limit by more than 50 per cent - but that was a guide and not a rule. Tragic accident: Wendy Williams died after the crash on December 23, 2009. Originally published by By Matt Lloyd STAFF REPORTER. © 2013 Evening Mail; Birmingham (UK). Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved. A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article Click here to view the article

Stop - think hedgehog ; COMMUNITY FOCUS This week''s essay is written by Trevor Weeks founder of the East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service [Edition 6] THE East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service is urging people to "Think Hedgehog" in the coming weeks after a hedgehog was impaled on a garden fork. The hedgehog was found in a garden near Northiam at a time when landscaping and garden clearance was taking place, and was extremely lucky to survive. It was delivered to our casualty care centre in Whitesmith, after being kept in a shed for two days by the finder, who did not know what to do with it. One of the wounds was quite smelly and infected and the second was not so bad, but both were clearly quite deep. I was expecting much worse as quite often the puncture wounds are central on the body and end up causing horrendous internal injuries, which are usually fatal. This fork luckily speared either side of the main body cavity, avoiding the creature's vital areas and this hedgehog is extremely lucky. We are urging gardeners to take care while clearing gardens and to be mindful of locations where hedgehogs might be sleeping. Hedgehogs are still hibernating and depending on the weather will be in and out of hibernation until April time. Any hedgehogs found out during the day time will be in need of help as they are nocturnal animals. They hibernate in all sorts of locations, including under and inside of sheds, in green houses, in pampas grass, in compost heaps, in thick vegetation using grass and leaves. We have even found them in piles of rubble, under decking surrounded by plastic bags and litter, and some have been partially buried in soil and leaves under bushes, so be careful when clearing areas, as it will not always be where you expect. If you do find a hedgehog, place it back and cover it exactly how found. They will often then go and find a new place to stay, but if they don't, please seek advice. If the nest is badly destroyed or the hedgehog is injured in anyway, call for help straight away. The injured hedgehog has been seen by our vet and its wounds have been cleaned using a warm diluted iodine bath. It is now on antibiotics and we hope it will make a full recovery. Our work is funded by donations and we can only carry out this work with the public's support and help. If you can make a donation to support the charity, please call 01825 873003 or donate online at www.wildlifeambulance.org To write this column: Please send 500 words to sussex.reporters@courier.co.uk clearly marked Community Focus A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article Click here to view the article

By Nick Sambides Jr., Bangor Daily News, Maine Feb. 11--EAST MILLINOCKET, Maine -- Town leaders will present their plan for extending their ambulance service into Lincoln to the Lincoln Town Council in Lincoln at 6 p.m. Monday, officials said. The East Millinocket Board of Selectmen will discuss the budget of the town's Fire Department, which so far does not include the Lincoln proposal, at a meeting at the East Millinocket town office 4 p.m.-5:15 p.m., board Chairman Clint Linscott said. Linscott said he and some other selectmen will then attend Lincoln's meeting to hear East Millinocket Fire Chief Les Brown's presentation. "We have given it to Les and when he has all his final stuff together, that's when we [selectmen] will review it," Linscott said Monday. "He has proven successful so we have allowed him to [do] what he needs to do." Penobscot Valley Hospital CEO David Shannon has said that the Lincoln hospital is considering leaving the ambulance business because of a lack of profit. It handles most of the emergency and patient transfer calls in the Lincoln Lakes region, he has said. Under Brown's proposal, East Millinocket Fire Department workers would partner with Lincoln to replace PVH's service. East Millinocket would carry all expenses and oversee the program, Lincoln interim Town Manager William Lawrence has said. Brown requests space for two ambulances at the Lincoln Public Safety building. Lincoln firefighters would drive the ambulance for in-town emergencies and transports, Lawrence said. East Millinocket would pay the overtime expenses to call in a Lincoln firefighter to cover for the on-staff engineer during ambulance calls or emergencies, Lawrence said. Lincoln expects to make $90,000 in revenue annually based upon an estimated 1,200 emergencies and patient transports, Lawrence said. East Millinocket also would handle service billing, paramedic or EMT ambulance staffing and payroll. Brown has declined to discuss how much East Millinocket's revenue would increase under the proposal, deferring comment on the matter to Monday night. Linscott has said he is unaware of the particulars of Brown's plan. Under Brown's leadership, East Millinocket's service has grown from one to six ambulances serving northern Penobscot County. ___ ©2013 the Bangor Daily News (Bangor, Maine) Visit the Bangor Daily News (Bangor, Maine) at www.bangordailynews.com Distributed by MCT Information Services A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article Click here to view the article

By Kevin Canfield, Tulsa World, Okla. Feb. 15-- EMSA CEO Steve Williamson defended his organization's response times Thursday, telling city councilors that citizens of Tulsa have a world-class ambulance service. "There are always going to be some (calls) that will not be within the response time," Williamson said. "To keep that from happening you would have to overstaff by 150, 135 percent to meet all demand regardless of the blips in service levels." Williamson said no city in the country could afford to do that. "We do everything possible. That is why they are reaching the response time standard of over 90 percent," he said. Williamson was invited to speak at the councilors' Thursday afternoon committee meeting by Councilor Karen Gilbert, who said her constituents' No. 1 complaint about EMSA's service is delayed responses. The Tulsa World reported on Thursday that EMSA's figures show that ambulances were delayed in responding to at least 80 calls so far this year. An earlier report indicated that ambulances were delayed to calls involving heart attacks, breathing problems, car accidents, seizures, suicide attempts and other serious medical conditions, according to records. But Williamson told Gilbert that "there aren't delayed response times." He said that under EMSA's contract with the city, EMSA is required to meet 90 percent of Priority 1 calls within 8 minutes and 59 seconds and that that standard is being met. The reported delayed calls "are all under the 10 percent that is allowed under the contract," Williamson said. He noted that Paramedics Plus, which EMSA pays to provide ambulance service, has never gone "into breach" of agreement for failing to meet the response-time standards set out in its agreement. He also noted that EMSA's dispatch center is one of 150 or so that have received international accreditation. That, Williamson said, speaks to the fact that "they are asking the right questions and directing the ambulance to the most critical care first." Fire Chief Ray Driskell has said previously that he has been working with Williamson to obtain better data and information from EMSA. On Thursday, Williamson described a positive relationship between EMSA and the Fire Department. He said he met recently with the fire chief to clarify information transmitted over dispatch screens and said EMSA is going to purchase another screen to track ambulances' locations. "We have done things to the tune of $8 million we have paid, including their CAD (computer automated design) system, so we can communicate better," Williamson said. The CAD system, which cost more than $500,000 and was purchased by EMSA at least a year ago, has not been installed because the city has had problems with the vendor who would install it, City Manager Jim Twombly told councilors. "We had scheduled implementation for last fall, and we had scheduled another implementation for March, and both of those were delayed," Twombly said. Once installed, the CAD system would allow police, firefighters and EMSA to see the same thing at the same time, Twombly said. Gilbert called the delay "insane" and said the residents of Tulsa deserve better. Williamson said residents always deserve better but that as the intricacies of the EMSA system are discussed it is important for residents to know that the service is "world-class in clinical response, response time, reliability and outcome." Councilor Phil Lakin, who is also an EMSA trustee, pulled up EMSA's website on his computer during Thursday's discussion and encouraged residents to do the same. He noted, for example, that in December 91 percent of Priority 1 calls were responded to within the required time and 97 percent of Priority 2 calls were responded to within the required time. "The (EMSA) board spends a lot of time looking at this and monitoring it," he said. ___ ©2013 Tulsa World (Tulsa, Okla.) Visit Tulsa World (Tulsa, Okla.) at www.tulsaworld.com Distributed by MCT Information Services A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article Click here to view the article

Health campaigners are celebrating saving three ambulance stations which had been threatened with closure. East Midlands Ambulance Service last year proposed to replace nine ambulance stations in the county with two "super-stations". The plans prompted a series of protests and petitions by campaigners determined to save the stations in Hinckley, Market Harborough and Melton. Now, the Emas board is expected to agree revised proposals at its meeting on March 25. The new plan will still see one super-station created at Gorse Hill, in Anstey, but the upgrade of the Loughborough station into a super-station has been shelved. A new station will be built at Ashby and the Hinckley, Market Harborough and Melton stations will be remain open. However, the proposed closure of Coalville, Oakham, Syston, Narborough and Lutterworth stations will go ahead. Hinckley campaigners, who raised nearly 1,000 signatures opposing closure, have welcomed the change of heart. Borough councillor David Bill said: "We have had to work tremendously hard to achieve this. As soon as we became aware of the threat, we visited the Nottingham HQ of the ambulance service to put our case for the retention of the Hinckley." Bosworth MP David Tredinnick said: "I held a number of top-level discussions with Emas telling them of people's worries in respect of response times if their original proposals had gone ahead, and I am extremely pleased they have listened and Hinckley will retain its ambulance station." The Anstey super-station will act as a base for crews operating from a series of community sites across Leicestershire. It will also have maintenance facilities. Bosses believe changes will help them achieve the targets of responding to 75 per cent of life-threatening calls within eight minutes and 95 per cent of less urgent calls within 19 minutes. Councillor John Coxon, town council leader in Ashby which is to get a new station, said: "This is excellent news for the town and its surrounding area. "We are delighted Emas has selected Ashby and we look forward to the decision being confirmed." A series of public consulta-tion events have taken place since the original proposals were announced. Zuffar Haq, spokesman for the Leicester Mercury Patients' Panel, said: "I have great faith in the chief executive of Emas, Phillip Milligan. He listened to concerns and responded accordingly. It is good news for patients." Harborough councillor Sarah Hill said: "This is very good news for the county. It is good that Emas has listened to residents and reacted positively." Colin Todd, regional organiser of union GMB, which had also protested against the closure, said he welcomed any improvements to the original proposals. However, he said: "The new proposal is a massive reduction in stations. We are also concerned about the cost of this new plan. We hope Emas shares this with the people of the East Midlands before it is ratified." Next Monday, Emas representatives will outline its fresh proposals to County Hall's adults, communities and health overview and scrutiny committee. In the report to be discussed on March 11, Alan Schofield, director of corporate affairs at Emas, wrote: "If approved, it is hoped that the revised proposals will lead to improvement in the service that EMAS offer to the residents of Leicestershire." "We are delighted Emas has selected Ashby and we look forward to the decision being confirmed" John Coxon A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article Click here to view the article

By Frank Kummer, The Philadelphia Inquirer March 12--A secretary for the Warrington Community Ambulance Corps is accused to pilfering $642,741 from the small nonprofit to fuel a gambling habit. "Staggering," is how Marc J. Furber, who is prosecuting the case for the Bucks County District Attorney's Office, characterizes the theft. "Especially considering we're talking about a community organization that relies on public funds and donations." Indeed, the most recent financial filings for the ambulance corps show it has assets totaling little more than $1 million. Authorities say Danette Marie Lewchick, 56, of Jamison, began stealing money in 2008 and continued through 2012 when an independent audit turned up spending discrepancies for the ambulance corps. Furber said the paper trail shows that Lewchick forged signatures to write checks to herself, and also made ATM withdrawals from the corps' account. She was spending large sums of that money at Parx casino in Bensalem, and the Sands casino in Bethlehem, authorities contend. Lewchick was charged Monday. She faces 11 charges, including theft by deception and forgery. She was held on 10 percent of $250,000 bail. Lewchick's attorney, Jeffrey Solar, could not be reached immediately for comment. Contact the Breaking News Desk at BreakingNewsDesk@philly.com ___ ©2013 The Philadelphia Inquirer Visit The Philadelphia Inquirer at www.philly.com Distributed by MCT Information Services A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article Click here to view the article

Cleaner Look: The goal was to have a less cluttered site, and I think we achieved it. New Home Page: New Articles and new Forum topics are prominently listed with an easy link to access all new content. Please let me know if anything is not working correctly. Enjoy! Admin Click here to view the article

WEST Midlands Ambulance Service has apologised after it failed to send a crew to the home of a pensioner who had suffered serious burns and later died. Eighty-five-year-old John Copcutt, from Erdington, passed away two weeks after the fire which was likely to have been caused by his smoking habit. Assistant Deputy Coroner Sally Scanlon said the call made by Mr Copcutt's daughter "had not been taken correctly" and that information had not been acted upon. An inquest in Birmingham heard that Veronica Copcutt had been obliged to take her father to Heartlands Hospital herself. However the coroner said she believed that any delay caused had not made any difference to the eventual outcome. She recorded that the pensioner died following necessary and major surgery which was given for severe burn injuries which he sustained as a result of an accident. Miss Copcutt said her father, who lived in Tyburn Road, suffered from dementia and that on March 13 last year she received a call from one of his carers saying that he had had an accident. She said when she arrived at the address she discovered that her father had suffered burns to his stomach and right arm and that his hair was singed. "I tried to find out what he had done but he could not tell me," she said. Miss Copcutt said she also discovered the burnt remains of clothing outside and a burn mark on the living room floor. "I phoned an ambulance but they refused to send an ambulance out. I tried to describe the injuries to them. They were going through lots of questions." The inquest was told that Mr Copcutt, who had suffered 16 per cent burns, was transferred to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital where he was operated on but his condition deteriorated. Alan Ford, an operations centre manager for West Midlands Ambulance, said as a result of an investigation new procedures had been put in place regarding the assessment of burns victims and training had been given. Afterwards Miss Copcutt said "If he had been treated at the house they might have taken him to the correct hospital. At least, hopefully, something good might have come out of this." A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said "The Trust would like to express its sincere condolences to the family of Mr Copcutt. "Following his death a serious untoward incident was raised by the Trust and an entensive internal investigation took place. "The coroner concluded that an ambulance would not have made any difference to Mr Copcutt's outcome." A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article Click here to view the article

THE East of England Ambulance Service said it is finding it "a real challenge" to recruit staff to operate the 15 extra ambulances introduced this week following patient and staff feedback to identify where more might be needed. The trust said it would be reliant on staff working overtime for the extra ambulances until more staff had been recruited. The EEAS has been criticised in the past for poor response times. A spokesman said: "The extra ambulances have all been delivered to their stations, but we are finding it a real challenge at the moment to fill all the shifts because we are reliant on staff overtime until our new recruits are on board over the coming few weeks." Health minister Norman Lamb last week said he had "real concerns" about how the East of England Ambulance Trust was being run. A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article Click here to view the article

Text of report in English by Bahrain newspaper Gulf Daily News website on 6 March [Report by Noor Zahra: "Unrest Case 23 Medics File Appeal"] Twenty-three medics convicted of taking part in illegal gatherings and unauthorised rallies during unrest in 2011 have filed appeals against their convictions. The Lower Criminal Court handed down three-month suspended sentences to each defendant on November 21 - meaning, they would avoid going to prison unless they broke the law again in that period. Each one was also ordered to pay BD200. They lodged an appeal at Supreme Criminal Appeals Court, where they appeared yesterday. During the hearing, lawyer Mohsin Al Alawi asked judges to summon prosecution witnesses. Meanwhile, lawyer Abdulla Al Shamlawi claimed prosecutors did not state where the defendants took part in illegal gatherings, as he sought the acquittal of his clients. Judges have yet to respond. The defendants were accused of taking part in illegal gatherings at Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC) and illegal rallies to the former GCC (Pearl) Roundabout, according to court documents. They were all found not guilty of refusing to treat patients, failing to report crimes and possessing knives. Prosecutors had earlier dropped charges of inciting hatred against the regime and making false reports. All the accused had earlier been released from custody while their case was underway and had pleaded not guilty. Five others were earlier acquitted of all charges. The date of the next hearing has yet to be announced. Originally published by Gulf Daily News website, Manama, in English 6 Mar 13. © 2013 BBC Monitoring Middle East. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved. A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article Click here to view the article

Staff Writer BINGHAM -- Voters decided to cut funds to the ambulance service that the town shares with others in the upper Kennebec Valley at the annual Town Meeting on Monday night. They also approved a purchase of property to be used for a fire department expansion and to make the position of town clerk appointed rather than elected. The total budget approved for the coming year is $615,350, said First Selectman Steve Steward. It is down about 7 percent from the current budget of $666,248, although that number included $25,000 for the bicentennial celebration. The town has been using the Upper Kennebec Valley Ambulance Service, which is a shared service with other towns including Caratunk, the Forks, Moscow, Pleasant Ridge, West Forks and unorganized territories in Somerset County, for about 30 years, said Steward. In the last year and a half, he said, annual costs have gone up and the town went from paying about $40,000 to $100,000. In 2012 the cost was $88,500. "It needs to be fairer. They provide a good service, but I think many people feel the upper river towns are not contributing what they should be to the cost," said Steward. He said the cost of the ambulance service is divided among the areas that use it based on population counts from the most recent census. For 2013, selectmen asked the town to raise $69,985, but the request was amended to $35,000. Steward said that should pay for the service through the end of June and in the meantime the town is trying to negotiate a lower price for the rest of the year. The town also voted to change the position of town clerk from elected to appointed, said Steward. Selectmen already appoint the town treasurer and tax collector and will now do so for the town clerk beginning in 2014. In elections, Laurie L. Attwood and Raymond L. Francoeur won seats on the School Administrative District 13 board. Attwood received 56 votes and Francoeur 34. The other candidates in the race were Terina M. Adams, who received 16 votes, and Melissa Thompson, who received 24. Juliana J. Richard was elected to a three-year term as second selectman with 77 votes, and Jeanette A. Jacques was elected to a one-year term as town clerk with 78 votes. Rachel Ohm -- 612-2368 rohm@mainetoday.com A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article Click here to view the article

By Clay Bailey The Germantown Board of Mayor and Aldermen, citing economic uncertainties, on Monday night rejected the latest plans for the suburb to provide in-house ambulance service. The rejection came on a 3-2 vote with Aldermen Forrest Owens and Rocky Janda, both elected last November, joining Alderman Mike Palazzolo in opposing a policy change that would have cleared the way for the city to start the service July 1. I think I speak probably for Alderman Janda and myself, (I hoped we would have) a moratorium or just a couple of months before we had to make these really gut-wrenching decisions, Owens said in explaining his reasons for opposing the concept. Aldermen John Drinnon and Greg Marcom voted in favor of the policy. The defeat of that measure led Mayor Sharon Goldsworthy's administration to ask for a delay on a companion agenda item rejecting bids from private contractors to provide the service in the suburb. City Administrator Patrick Lawton said the administration would look at the private bids and consider continuing under the county contract with Rural/Metro. He said it was too early to determine which option is the best route. The city will need to make a decision soon in order to prepare for the upcoming fiscal year budget that begins July 1. A new county ambulance contract also will begin that day. Fire Chief John Selberg, who had worked on studies to convince the board that in-house service was the best option, was visibly bothered by the rejection, but declined comment on the vote. Germantown has looked many times at doing ambulance service in- house since at least 1992. The current county contract with Rural/ Metro expires June 30. All of the suburbs -- except Bartlett, which has its own ambulances -- are served by Rural/Metro. The individual cities pay their share of the contract based on the number of calls answered in their boundaries. Under the current contract, Germantown pays about $477,000 annually. The city's study showed costs could run about $1.5 million annually in the fiscal year beginning in July, and the city would need to spend more than $600,000 in start-up costs, most of that expense in the purchase of four ambulances. Originally published by Clay Bailey bailey@yourappeal.com 901-529-2393 . © 2013 Commercial Appeal, The. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved. A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article Click here to view the article

By Tim Chitwood and Mike Owen, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer Feb. 13--About 10 investigators with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and local district attorney's office descended Tuesday on the Columbus Department of Fire & Emergency Medical Services administrative office, interviewing commanders and collecting boxes of fire department records to pore over. GBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne Smith said his agents were probing how the department handles documents, some related to a February 2010 home day care fire that injured four children, one fatally. Smith said the GBI investigation was initiated at the request of Julia Slater, district attorney of the six-county Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit that includes Columbus. Slater in a statement said she sought the GBI's assistance "after receiving information indicating that department employees may have committed criminal acts involving the creation, maintenance and accuracy of official reports and documents." Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson said there have been no personnel changes. "The investigation is ongoing," Tomlinson said. "I can't speculate as to its findings, if any, and therefore I can't speculate as to the need for any action by the city." Smith said investigators with a search warrant talked to about a dozen fire department workers and collected about two boxes of documents Tuesday. No arrests were made and no agents questioned had to be advised of his or her rights before talking with investigators, Smith said. Slater in her statement said the agents were "conducting interviews with specific department employees and members of the command staff. ... The search and interviews are part of an ongoing effort to establish what occurred and if criminal conduct was involved." Smith and others close to the probe confirmed agents were examining some documents related to a Feb. 26, 2010, blaze that began in a carport and quickly spread into a home at 5629 Mill Branch Road, where resident Rochell J. Jefferson ran a home day care. Two adults and nine children were inside around 1:30 p.m. that Friday when the fire spread from the carport into the house. Four children were injured, and one of them, 23-month-old Michael Duvard Jr., died the next day at the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, Ga. The fire prompted multiple investigations by state regulators, insurance companies and the fire department, which launched an internal probe when one of the first firefighters to arrive on the scene later complained that his engine company was two short of a full complement of five firefighters, and one of the men backing him up did not come into the burning house to help when called for. A fire department report detailed the confusion authorities responding to the blaze faced. They said Jefferson told them she had eight children to care for that day when in fact nine had been in the house. At least one child was rescued by a neighbor, who went in through a rear bedroom window. The first firefighter to rush in found the ceiling collapsing in the home's front living room and saw a child lying on the floor. He rescued that child as other firefighters then arriving found two more who were still inside, according to the report. The last child to be pulled from the house was in a bedroom where the burning roof had collapsed. The boy was in a baby car seat, and much of his clothing had burned off, firefighters reported. Chief Thomas Streeter, who was the fire marshal at the time, said the child had first- and second-degree burns over 80 percent to 85 percent of his body. The other three injured children -- all infants -- suffered smoke inhalation, and one had first- and second-degree burns on 20 percent of his body, Streeter said. Investigators believed the fire started in a carport shed where flammable materials such as paint and gasoline had been stored near a hot water heater. The carport blaze also destroyed two vehicles, a 2004 Ford Expedition and a 2001 Dodge pickup. State regulators later said the home day care was supposed to have had only six children from paying clients, not nine. Smith, the GBI agent heading the fire department investigation the district attorney requested, said Tuesday that the day care fire was just one of several issues for which authorities sought paperwork from the department. After agents left his office, Fire Chief Jeff Meyer told reporters the probe ultimately will benefit the department by proving its record keeping is accurate and properly maintained. "In a way, it's just another way to validate what we do in the department," he said. "Over the past four or five years, we've probably been the most scrutinized department in city government, if not one of the most scrutinized." He said his workers are cooperating with investigators and expect no wrongdoing will be uncovered. "I am confident that the truth will come out, in the end," he said. ___ ©2013 the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer (Columbus, Ga.) Visit the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer (Columbus, Ga.) at www.ledger-enquirer.com Distributed by MCT Information Services A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article Click here to view the article

By Zeke Campfield, The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City Feb. 23--The chairwoman of the board that oversees the state's largest ambulance service said its managers are "on the right track" to fix discrepancies outlined in a highly critical state audit. Lillian Perryman said both management and the board of directors that oversees operations of Emergency Medical Services Authority are making significant strides to ensure the authority spends its money and resources in the most cost-effective -- and legal -- way possible. "In my own opinion, we've had many good years of good leadership," Perryman said Friday. "Are there things that weren't done probably as well as they should have been? Very possibly so. I don't think there was any upfront purpose to do anything wrong." The authority, also known as EMSA, is a public trust authority of Oklahoma City and Tulsa and provides ambulance service to more than 1 million Oklahomans in those cities and surrounding areas. A state audit released in January said lax policies and procedures by management and the authority's board may have led to thousands of dollars in inappropriate spending by its chief executive officer, Stephen Williamson. Williamson's business decisions, some made without board knowledge, may have violated the authority's code of conduct, but no illegal spending was uncovered, according to the audit. Management response to the audit was provided to The Oklahoman on Friday, and Perryman said they will be going over each of the audit's findings and recommendations at a meeting Wednesday in Stroud. Perryman said the board will develop oversight committees in finance, ethics and personnel and that she is already personally reviewing all authority expenditures in excess of $2,500, as recommended by the auditors. Are there things that weren't done probably as well as they should have been? Very possibly so. I don't think there was any upfront purpose to do anything wrong." Lillian Perryman, Emergency Medical Services Authority chairwoman "We do want more oversight by the board," she said. "Not every little detail, but I think big items, items that could be considered possibly questionable, we want to address that before any of that is paid for upfront." The audit, which was requested by the board after media reports revealed questionable spending habits by Williamson, indicated he spent more than $400,000 between January 2009 and June 2012, more than half without board oversight. Purchases included room service, spa visits, satellite radio subscriptions and expensive catering events and parties. The audit also revealed EMSA since 2009 used its nonprofit status to purchase at a tax-free rate more than $7 million of fuel and equipment for the contractor it relies on for paramedic services and then having the contractor reimburse the authority at the cheaper rate. Perryman said that practice was reviewed and approved by the board's attorney and said it will continue. "It was used for the public good and also to try and cut down on costs that would have been passed along to the towns involved," she said. But another member of the board, Ed Shadid, who also sits on the Oklahoma City Council, said he doesn't believe EMSA can truly address issues outlined in the audit without a change of management. "I've seen enough to know that the discredited leadership needs to be changed," Shadid said. ___ ©2013 The Oklahoman Visit The Oklahoman at www.newsok.com Distributed by MCT Information Services A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article Click here to view the article

By Stephanie Bell They are the brave female soldiers who deal with the cruellest side of war - -- the horrific injuries of their colleagues and civilians caught up in the bloody battles. While they may not be fighting alongside their male colleagues on the frontline, the women medics of the Territorial Army's 204 Field Hospital (Reserve Volunteers) instead face a frantic battle to save lives behind the lines. Throughout the war in Afghanistan, the Northern Irish volunteers have been a vital support to the regular army in the busy field hospital in Helmand province. Even with their unique medical experience in dealing with bomb and bullet casualties during the Troubles, these dedicated professionals will not have seen anything on the scale they encounter during their three-month deployment to Afghanistan. The role of female soldiers has been put under the international spotlight after America recently announced it is to take the historic step of overturning a military ban on women serving in combat roles. It's a move that could open thousands of fighting jobs to female soldiers in the American services for the first time. The decision came after increasing pressure from service women and activists on the Pentagon to acknowledge the reality that many women in the military already face combat on the battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the UK, under European Union equality rules, the issue of women's role in combat has to be reviewed every eight years. The last review was in 2010, when Britain decided it would not change rules excluding women from infantry or combat teams. As it stands in Britain, female soldiers are still prevented from entering into situations where they could 'en- gage and potentially kill the enemy'. Ministers said that while the skill and courage of female soldiers could not be questioned, group 'cohesion' could be compromised in intense battle situations. The Ministry of Defence recently confirmed it has "no immediate plans" for a similar review to the one made in America. A spokesperson said that the "vast majority of roles" in the Armed Forces are open to women and acknowledged that hundreds of servicewomen are currently serving their country with distinction in Afghanistan. Women now account for 9% of personnel across the armed forces, and the figure is rising. Research carried out a decade ago raised concerns about the ability of women in intense, hostile situations. A 2002 review revealed that just 1% of trained female soldiers had the physical fitness required to work on the frontline. The study also found that women 'required more provocation and were more likely to fear consequences of aggressive behaviour'. The ban has not stopped female soldiers from being killed in Afghanistan, where front lines are not clear and landmines and roadside bombs pose a real risk. Corporal Channing Day from Comber became the first female soldier from Northern Ireland to be killed in Afghanistan last October. The 25-year-old medic with 3 Medical Regiment was shot dead alongside a Royal Marine while on patrol in Helmand Province. She died while overseeing the training of Afghan local police. At first it was thought she was the victim of a "blue on green" attack or she died as a result of "friendly fire". The army later reported that she had been killed in a fire fight when her patrol came under attack, from the Taliban or other forces opposing the foreign occupation of Afghanistan. She was proud to be a soldier in the British army. Her family said she wanted to be a soldier from an early age and joined as soon as she left school, aged 16. It was the life she wanted. "She loved what she did and we are so proud of her," said her sister Lauren. Channing was the third female British solider to have died in Afghanistan since 2001. A total of 435 British male soldiers have also lost their lives in the conflict During more than a decade of war in Afghanistan and Iraq, women have served courageously and skilfully under fire. We spoke to three local female soldiers who have served in the conflict. All officers with the TA, they spent three months in the war zone in 2008 serving as medics and witnessing the brutal reality of war. Based at the field hospital in Helmand they talked about why they were eager to risk their own lives and leave home and family to help save the lives of their fellow troops. All three are experienced nurses in civilian life as well as dedicated fully trained soldiers with 204 Field Hospital. Courage and compassion led our soldiers to volunteer for what must be one of the most harrowing jobs on earth - -- treating victims of land mines, gun battles and bombs. Helen Wilson (55) from Loughgall is a Major in the TA and also served in the Field Hospital in Afghanistan in 2008 as a trauma nurse co-ordinator. Helen is a regional manager for Four Seasons Healthcare in Northern Ireland, in charge of eight care homes. She is married to Jim (55) and has four children, Naomi (31), James (30), Bruce (29) and Rachel (25). She says: ? I trained as a registered general nurse in the 1970s. I joined the TA 10 years ago. It was a lifelong ambition but because of family commitments I never got the chance to do it earlier. When I was a child I spent a couple of periods in hospital for minor operations and when I was in hospital an aunt gave me a book about Florence Nightingale. Ever since that I wanted to join the Queen Alexander Royal Army as a nurse. I am now in my 11th year in the TA and it has been everything I had hoped and more. Joining later in life I thought I might not have a long career in the Army so I wanted to make every year count and so in 2003 I volunteered for Iraq. I was mobilised in 2004 to a field hospital there but at the time there were peace negotiations going on and things had settled down. "Then in 2008 I went to Afghanistan as a Trauma Nurse Coordinator. As part of my role I was the only person in charge of clinical photography, taking pictures of all the soldiers being repatriated back home. If anyone died en route to hospital it was my job to record it as part of their repatriation back home. "It was tough but I had worked in A&E at home during the Troubles, which was an experience which really helped. We had a great team and I was very honoured to be part of it. It was a 24-7 job and we saw some horrific sights and many amputees, some triple amputees. "It is difficult leaving your family. I did ask my family if they minded and if they would support me. My children just said they knew how much I had wanted to do it and that they were happy for me to go. I kept in touch with them through regular emails and they did tell me afterwards that they were glad to see me home. "Being a mum it was difficult to deal with the Afghan children who came into the hospital. You just wanted to hug them and often did. There was one little four-year-old girl called Salima who was with us the whole time and who we all fell in love with. We all took turns looking after her and for a long time we couldn't locate her family. She had abdomen injuries as a result of an improvised explosive device going off. "When we did find her father we were worried if the man claiming her really was her father. As she was leaving she looked back at the nursing staff who had given her cuddles for three months and then she smiled at her father and that showed us for certain that he was who he said he was. It was very emotional, everyone was in tears." Joy McGrath (51) from east Belfast is a Lieutenant Colonel and a theatre nurse in the Royal Victoria Hospital. Joy, who joined the TA in 1985, spent three and a half months in the Field Hospital in Afghanistan in 2008 where she was the officer in command of the theatres. She has two children, Jamie (18) and Leanne (15). She says: ? I completed my nursing training in 1981 and joined the TA in 1985. I was young and wanted to do something different and the outdoors stuff in particular appealed to me. My children were 10 and 12 years old when I was deployed to Afghanistan. There is an element of risk and it was difficult leaving my family. People are worried about you and you just have to try to reassure them. I was a bit apprehensive about going to a war zone but at the same time there was some excitement at being able to do something different. Our day-to-day training in the TA, which shows us how to adapt to different situations, all came into play, as did my nursing experience. The Field Hospital was extremely busy. Just trying to cope with the vast amount of work and injuries we saw was a challenge and there was a lot of sleep deprivation. In 13 weeks we had 400 operations and over 1,000 admissions. Some of the injuries were horrific. We had soldiers who had stepped on landmines or had their vehicles blown up. We also had locals caught up in the fighting and a lot of Afghan children, some who had stepped on landmines. We also looked after some of the Taliban - we provided healthcare for everyone . It would be a difficult job for anyone but I think when you are a parent it is even harder, especially dealing with the young soldiers and the children. I had nursed through the Troubles in the Royal Victoria Hospital. and dealt with quite a lot of blast injuries and shootings, so I probably was more exposed to that side of it than some people. But the sheer volume of casualties made it difficult . There were a lot of amputations with very young soldiers of just 18, 19 and 20 years old and children with burns injuries. I think being a nurse you are more able to deal with it as you are exposed to it in your profession and it's not a one-off thing; we have seen it all before. Having been to Afghanistan, I think it is something anyone who has done can be very proud of. When you see how well the system works and how well people are treated, it is a big honour to be part of that. The medical care the soldiers are receiving is excellent and it is one of the best medical facilities in the world. At the end of the day it is what you train for and what you do as part of your medical service. As a woman You don't feel any different. in the TA, You're just part of one big team and there just like the men, to do a job. Major Nuala Green (53) has been in the TA for 30 years and has been a nurse for 33 years. She is a vocational assessor for health care assistants in the Belfast Trust. Nuala is married to Paul (54) a civil servant and has two children, Timothy (22) and Andrew (20). She says: }I joined the TA shortly after qualifying as a nurse. I saw an advertisement in the Belfast Telegraph and thought it looked an interesting career move and I went for an interview and signed up there and then. If anybody had said then that I would still be there 30 years later I wouldn't have believed it. The camaraderie is brilliant; it's like one big happy family. I went to Afghanistan in 2008 for three and a half months as an assessor for trainees doing their NVQs. These were health care assistants who were training on the job. It really is witnessing the harsh side of war -- . It was interesting nursing the Afghan people because of their different culture. They didn't like to be told what to do by female nurses. They were people who didn't have electricity at home and it was a real culture shock for them to find themselves in a brightly- lit hospital. Many of them would not have had access before to professional medical care before, either. Leaving my family was difficult but I knew the boys would be well cared for and I was lucky to have really good family support. The Field Hospital is in the middle of the desert and quite a distance from the frontline. but there is still risk involved. I'm glad to have been there and experienced it. I felt privileged to have helped in some small way. I had great colleagues and we knew we were giving the best care we could. ~ how the 204 Field Hospital has become a vital support unit for our frontline. troops Since the onset of the Gulf War in 2003, 204 Field Hospital has continually sent personnel on operations in support of the regular army. In January of this year a Hospital Squadron was again deployed to Afghanistan. for threemonths. The unit had initially formed in Northern Irelandin May 1961 as 4 General Hospital (Territorial Army) and was set up as an independent medical unit of the Territorial Army's, with its Headquarters at Tyrone House, Malone Road, Belfast . The Commanding Officer, Colonel Gregg, five officers and 31 other ranks were transferred from the former 107 (Ulster) Field Ambulance. By 1962, following an extensive recruitment campaign, it had become a large and experienced unit with several of its personnel having seen service in World War II. The 1960s saw a period of re- organisation, with the Territorial Army'sbecoming the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve. In 1967, 204 (North Irish) General Hospital Royal Army Medical Corps (Volunteers) was formed as a successor to 4 General Hospital with its headquarters in Belfast with a detachment at Elm Lodge, Dungannon. In the 1990s, Options for Change and the disintegration of the former Soviet Union meant re-organisation, with 204 becoming a 200- bed Field Hospital, having an active role in the multi-national ACE Rapid Reaction Corps. The detachment at Dungannon was moved to Armagh. Then in 1993, the Regimental Headquarters moved to its present home at Hydebank, a former centre used by the Royal Irish Rangers (Volunteers) . A third detachment was formed in Newtownards in 1996 and in July 1999 The Field Hospital was divided into geographical Squadrons with the fourth Squadron being formed in Ballymena, giving a current footprint of Hydebank, Newtownards, Armagh and Ballymena. Originally published by Stephanie Bell. © 2013 Belfast Telegraph. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved. A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article Click here to view the article

By Deborah Laverty, The Times, Munster, Ind. March 11--Merrillville turned its emergency medical services over to a private ambulance company in 2008 as a way to cut costs, Merrillville Fire Chief Ed Yerga said. Now, nearly five years later and with the addition last year of 14 full-time firefighters, Yerga is considering moving to a cross-trained ambulance crew staffed by firefighters. "I'm still in the research stage but, personally, I think public service belongs with the community. That's what people pay their taxes for and I believe they are entitled to receive those services," Yerga said. A year ago, East Chicago turned its emergency medical services over to Prompt, a private ambulance company, East Chicago Fire Chief Emiliano Perez said. The move has been a deemed a success by officials despite bitterness at the time by some emergency medical services positions lost. "Every community has to judge for itself...It was a good move. It was certainly cost-effective," Perez said. The question of whether to go with fire-based emergency medical services, retain a private ambulance company or use hospital--based services is an issue area communities have wrestled with in recent years. Hobart officials earlier this year met with Superior and Prompt, private ambulance companies, to consider a possible move away from fire-based services and toward privatization as a way to reduce costs. Bob Fulton, who Mayor Brian Snedecor appointed to team up with Hobart Fire Chief Brian Taylor, is looking at ways the Fire Department can cut costs given the property tax levy freeze and a bleak economic future. "We assume there is only one model to follow as far as EMS services, but there are probably six different models...There continues to be a need to look at the tax dollars we have and make the best use of them," Fulton said. In Porter County, the trend has been toward fire-based ambulance services, according to Scott Arnold, who serves as Valparaiso's assistant chief of EMS. Valparaiso operates three advanced life support ambulances with cross-trained firefighters and also runs an advanced life support engine. The fire-based service was started on Sept. 1, 2007, Arnold said. Prior to that date, Porter hospital's EMS handled all ambulance calls in Porter County except for South Haven, Portage and Lakes of the Four Seasons. "It was a no brainer. ...For us we were already going on the calls and the only way to grow our department was to take on the ambulance service. It allowed us to bring money back into the city," Arnold said. No Porter County communities are currently using a private ambulance company for emergency services, Arnold said. "We're not sinking; we're covering our expenses," Arnold said. Chesterton is strongly considering the move toward a fire-based ambulance service later this year, Fire Chief Mike Orlich said. Chesterton's emergency medical services are handled by Porter Regional Hospital, Orlich said. "We're reviewing the feasibility study and are looking at our funding options...We are hoping to provide our citizens with advanced life support services through the fire department," Orlich said. The Burns Harbor Fire Department kicked off its advanced life support ambulance services at the start of the year, Burns Harbor Fire Chief Bill Arney said. The department operates two ambulances on a 24-hour basis with part-timers who are cross-trained. Burns Harbor had used the ambulance services of Porter Regional Hospital. "But they have their hands full and we're the farthest north, so several times we had a huge delay for patient response....We can be at a resident's door within five minutes," Arney said. Gary Miller, the CEO of Prompt, said his ambulances handle services in Highland, Dyer, Griffith, Munster, Merrillville, East Chicago and Calumet Township. Miller said primarily there are no differences in the type of services his company provides when compared to a fire department-based service. "The benefit is it's usually a cost savings primarily because the economy is a scale," Miller said. For instance, Prompt is buying 20 ambulances while a community is only buying one. Miller said communities, particularly those in Lake County without the 1 percent personal income tax, are looking at ways to improve their budgets. "And this is one way they can save money," Miller said. Highland Fire Chief Joe Kruzan and Tom Castle, president of Hobart's Professional Firefighters Local 1641 union, say the national trend is toward fire-based ambulance services. "When you have a problem who do you call? 911. What a better marriage than the fire department and EMS," Kruzan said. ___ ©2013 The Times (Munster, Ind.) Visit The Times (Munster, Ind.) at www.nwitimes.com Distributed by MCT Information Services A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article Click here to view the article