Latah County EMS

Minutes of March 8, 2007

 

Present:  President Paul Stubbs – Potlatch, Treasurer Bill Krick – Genesee; Secretary Teresa Quimby – Potlatch; Kim Stubbs – Potlatch; Donna Opresick – Deary/Troy; Bob Jahns – Moscow; Tim Sperber – Genesee; Deb McKinnon – Gritman Medical Center; and Marci Williams—LCSO

 

Meeting called to order at 7:05 p.m. by President Paul Stubbs.  A motion was made and seconded to accept the minutes as emailed (prior to the meeting).  Motion carried.

 

LCSO Update

Marci brought up several items:

  • Please do not call and ask for names over the radio.
  • Spencer is a new dispatcher.  Tim’s last day was March 1st.
  • Please write letters of support to the county commissioners to add funding to the budget for a second dispatcher to be on duty at all times.  That is the only way that they can switch to the EMD system.
  • Please try to keep the dispatcher updated on accident scenes while waiting for law enforcement to arrive.  It helps them gauge their response (i.e. downgrade).

 

State EMS Update

Discussion is tabled until next meeting.

 

Gritman/Moscow Fire Department Repeater Status Update

Bob reported that LCSO hasn’t gotten their frequency yet.  The Moscow Fire Department Chief hasn’t made a decision and he is leaving April 1st.  It was decided to table this discussion until we see what happens with the LCSO second repeater and who the new Chief will be.

 

Purchase of a Cardiac Monitor

Bob said that the paramedic program is not quite where he’d envisioned yet so he would like to table this discussion until the next meeting.  If a decision needs to be made before the dedicated grants deadline, he will send information out via email.

 

Treasurer’s Report

Bill reported that there is $30,015.00 in our account.  All the bills have been paid.  There was a discussion about payment for the drugs used by the paramedics during a rendezvous with the outlying units.  We will discuss this further at the next meeting..

 

Other

Bob said that it would be a good idea for us to write letters of support to the county commissioners, state senators, etc. for a senate bill that addresses medical director liability.  For more information on the senate bill, you can go to www.accessidaho.org.

 

Paul reminded everyone that the 6-month evaluation period for the LCEMS website is over and members need to decide if it’s worthwhile to keep it up and running.  We are paying Spencer $100/month to manage it.  It looked like there were approximately 360 hits on it so far.  Dean wrote the grant for it for a full year.  Bill said that Dani Peck has expressed an interest in helping with the website and taking it over when the year is over.  It was decided that we would continue with it for another six months and then re-evaluate it again at that time.  Paul and Kim will ask Spencer to attend the next meeting and Bill will ask Dani to attend so that Spencer can meet with her at that time and they can work together on it.

 

Paul said he had ordered bicycle helmets from Helmets R Us to distribute to the committee members to take back to their units to figure out what sizes they want and how many of them but they hadn’t shown up yet.  Each unit can decide what they want for a logo or sticker.  Troy is having a bike rodeo on May 19th and they could give them out then. 

 

Donna said that Troy is doing a fundraiser that has been very successful.  They make physical address signs for each residence in the county and they ask for a $20 donation for each sign.  The sign is similar to the mile marker signs.  They have a blue background and are reflective with 3 inch numbers on both sides.  They decided if they would do it differently, they would make the numbers 4 inches.  They have raised approximately $7,500.  The signs cost them about $10 to make and install.  They sent out about 900 letters so the postage was their biggest cost.  The firemen and EMTs have been installing them throughout their district.  They have their rural areas done and are now working on the town residences.  Deary is getting ready to do it.  It makes it a lot easier to find residences when they are responding to a call.  If you would like more information, you can contact either Marty McCully at nascut24@yahoo.com or Kevin Kimble at (208) 835-5055 or by email at kandbkimble@moscow.com.  They have their meetings every second Monday of the month.

 

ER Considerations/First Responder Scope of Practice Reduction

Deb reported that the EMS Physician Commission is holding town meetings to discuss the rules and scope of practice for the different levels.  The next meeting is in Orofino on March 21 at 6:30 at the Best Western.  There will be one in Coeur D’Alene on April 6th.  The big controversy right now is extrication, c-collar application, and packaging a patient at the First Responder level.  The EMS Bureau lobbied to remove this skill because it isn’t included in the National Scope of Practice.  There were numerous people who testified that they were already doing it.  They need instructors who have taught it and feel comfortable with First Responders who are doing it to testify and voice their opinions.  You can also email Deb at dmckinnon50@hotmail.com.  It would be ideal if you could represent your opinion at a town meeting.

 

Other upcoming changes are that blood glucometry will become a Basic skill.  Glucagon injections will also be added.  On the EMT-Advanced level, Endotracheal Intubation will probably go by the wayside and instead restrict intubation to a Combi-Tube.  They may add a module for ET intubation.  A bad intubation can kill a patient.  They are trying to decide if they will have ceilings (the most amount) or floors (the least amount) of skills that can be done.  If they are going to allow modules, they should do it for all levels, not just paramedics.   

 

Defibtech Defibrillator Recall

Information was distributed about the recall.  For more information, go to www.defibtech.com/fa2007/.

 

Meeting was adjourned at 8:16 p.m.