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Show r : . ; f P a I i ft f" : Vs F; s 't-r 'L' 4 Davis County paramedics treat heart patient (posed picture) during one of more than 2,500 emergency calls per year by the county's two fulltime and one part-time paramedic units. Paramedics are celebrating their 10th anniversary. Program big success Paramedics celebrate 10th By GARY R. BLODGETT FARMINGTON After 10 years of operation, Davis County's paramedic unit has proved to be a big success. "Not only has the paramedics program been successful with saving sav-ing hundreds of lives and treating thousands of patients, but it has been accomplished without a tax burden on the residents of the county," coun-ty," explained Capt. K.D. Simpson, Simp-son, unit commander. Since the concept of the paramedics para-medics program in 1975, the two fulltime and one part-time paramedic para-medic trucks have responded to more than 25,000 calls and provided pro-vided medical assistance to thousands of patients. "There's no way to determine how many lives may have been saved or how many patients avoided more serious illness or injury in-jury because of the quick response and efficient medical care provided by paramedics," said Capt. Simp-, Simp-, son. "But the figures would be astronomical." He said that during the past decade de-cade nearly every family in Davis County has been affected in some way by the paramedics, either in their own family or to a close friend or relative. But even with their life-saving efforts, the paramedics were not immediately accepted by all residents resi-dents of Davis County, Capt. Simpson Simp-son noted. "It was a new program that was countywide and not just operating in small localities," he said. "This raised some suspicions and some agencies had difficulty working with them." The concept of paramedics in Davis County was the brainchild of Capt. Bob Peters, who retired from the Sheriffs Department in 1987. "Because of his Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training, train-ing, Bob realized that advanced life support was an absolute necessity and the best way to provide this service was to place the paramedics with the sheriff's department," said Capt. Simpson. Working with then Sheriff Dub Lawrence, other paramedic programs prog-rams throughout the country were studied and the program eventually adopted was similar to that found in Kent, Mich. At first, there was only one unit, known as "Rescue 14," which be- CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 Paramedics celebrate 10th I r ; - ...... 1 1 V , 1 at all times to respond as needed for either medical or law enforcement activities," the captain said. Paramedic service in Davis County is financed through a coun-tywide coun-tywide mill levy which was approved in a general election in 1982 by a 9 to 1 margin of voters. Patients are charged through the hospital only for supplies used for their treatment and if no medical supplies are needed, there is no cost for the emergency call, it was explained. Davis County's paramedic program prog-ram currently has 24 field paramedics, para-medics, five sergeants, one lieutenant lieute-nant and one captain, the latter being Capt. Simpson who administers adminis-ters the program and seldom goes out on emergency calls. Paramedics Para-medics serve a population of about 183,000 in 630 square miles to every corner of the county. They respond to about 2,500 medical cases per month with daily peak hours being between 2-10 p.m. "It's during this peak period that the third "backup" paramedic unit is put into use," said Capt. Simpson. The per capita cost to provide the paramedic program is $4.82 and each emergency call averages $243 one of the lowest in the nation. The annual cost to operate the paramedic para-medic program is about $850,000, according to a report prepared by the Davis County Sheriffs Department. Depart-ment. "The program is not cheap, but there is nothing to compare with the results the paramedics have had over the past decade," said Capt. Simpson. "To reduce or eliminate its services would be devastating." He said there can be no price tag placed on the quality life support system offered by the paramedics. In the past 10 years, there have been hundreds of lives saved and thousands of injuries and illnesses lessened because of the paramedics, para-medics, the division commander concluded. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 gan serving north Davis County with an around-the-clock crew' of eight specially trained paramedics. The first call, on Aug. 1, 1977, was a possible drowning victim at a swimming swim-ming pool in Clearfield. Ten months later, the south end unit, "Rescue 15," became operational opera-tional and since then there have been at least two paramedic units on duty 24 hours a day , every day of the year. A third unit is used one-third one-third time operating one combined com-bined afternoon and evening shift when emergency calls are most demanding. de-manding. "Over the last decade there have been some changes to our program, but basically the emergency vehicles vehi-cles and personnel have remained much the same," said Capt. Simpson. Simp-son. "One major change is to now send just one unit to the scene of a medical or accident instead of roll-ing roll-ing both units to the same emergency." Paramedic units on duty do much PHOTOS BY GARY BLODGETT more than just sit and wait for an emergency call. One of the most noteworthy of their many duties is to backup police, fire and criminal investigation units of all communi ties throughout the county, Capt. Simpson explained. One thing paramedic units do not do is transport patients but they are on the scene first or soon after other emergency vehicles, Capt. Simpson noted. "All paramedics are highly trained and qualified medical technicians who are able to do more to treat patients of a medical medic-al emergency rather than, regular EMTs. Their duty is to stabilize the patient and prepare him for transportation trans-portation from the scene by ambulance ambu-lance or medical helicopter," he said. Capt. Simpson emphasized that the paramedic units must be kept mobile and to transport a patient would tie up the unit for several hours. "The units should be ready There was an hour of excitement at South Davis J , Community Hospital on Orchard Drive Tuesday when the facility called for a "mock disaster" to occur shortly after 10 a.m. Above, nurses and aides at the long-term recovery center give oxygen to an employee overcome by smoke; left, some of the 10 "injured" patients were evacuated from the building and treated on the front lawn; and below, one of the 1 1 employees "hurt" in the mock explosion of the ,kitchen stove (center) later became the only "casualty" in the semi-annual exercise. Bountiful police, fire fighters, paramedics, etc., as well as most employees were not aware of the mock exercise and the "disaster" was treated as the real thing. In reality, no one was hurt or killed and the resident patients were not affected. Doctors from the Bountiful Medical Center and nurses from CareWest, across the street from the mock disaster, offered assistance, thinking it was the "real thing." ? - ' , fhr ! tn'frwwwi' r . - yoo5 J |