Ems

Garrard County has a new EMS director following Monday's Fiscal Court meeting, and the face may be a familiar one.  Stephanie Elam, a Garrard native, says she was offered and accepted the position, which had been made vacant following the departure of Charles “Chuck” O'Neal, who left to become the assistant director for the Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services. The decision to hire Elam was discussed in executive session during Monday's meeting. She was appointed by executive order.

Emergency workers, from left, Jim McClure with Scott's Service Center, Clark County firefighter Lt. Vince Cooper, Clark County Deputy Sheriff Paul Howard and firefighter John Ratliff move a steel support beam from a damaged road sign after a car hydroplaned near the Interstate 64 93 mile marker Wednesday afternoon. There have been many accidents recently on I-64 caused by hydroplaning. One involved a Kentucky State Police cruiser between the 94 exit and the Clark-Fayette county line since the roadway was widened to three lanes in each direction.

I'm counting my blessings. Without revealing too much detail about events which are very personal, let me say that my family has made five trips to the emergency room in the last two weeks. Lest you think we are hypochondriacs, I'll be careful to report that each trip was advised by a medical professional. The good news is that everyone seems to be fine, myself included. Among the blessings I am counting is one that I did not expect. I've always heard that emergency personnel are highly professional and dedicated, and the two Jessamine County teams I met were certainly that.

The Jessamine County EMS is under new leadership for the first time since it came into existence after the retirement two weeks ago of Wendel Hatfield. Jessamine County Judge-Executive Wm. Neal Cassity said Hatfield made the EMS what it is today. "Wendell did an excellent job. He has been here ever since we've had emergency services so he knew it from the ground up," Cassity said. "We hate to see him go really bad, but he trained people who can step up and take over and continue what he has done.

SPRINGFIELD - Three people suffered serious injuries Wednesday when a vehicle collided with an emergency medical service unit on U.S. 150, state police said. Zachary M. Smith, 29, of Lebanon, driver of the EMS unit, and his passenger, Tammy Burkhart, 29, of Lancaster, along with the other driver, Jeremy M. Mudd, 19, of Springfield, were flown to the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center for treatment, according to a report by Trooper Billy Gregory. The accident occurred at 3:10 p.m. at the junction of Ky. 55, Ky. 555 and U.S. 150 as Mudd's 1995 Chevrolet Blazer headed east on U.S. 150, ran a red light and struck the ambulance, the trooper said.

LANCASTER - Colby Arnold, director of Garrard County EMS, is making use of funds available through the Department of Homeland Security by attempting to improve the county's overall emergency response process. Mobile data terminals, already used by the Garrard County Sheriff's Department, will soon be installed into each county ambulance. The technology, wired through cellular towers and paid for by money awarded through Rural Development, will provide a multitude of information readily available for emergency services if used properly, Arnold said.

The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, Chapter 1828, met Jan. 22 at noon at the Taste of China. Eric Hunter, a paramedic with the Winchester Fire-Emergency Medical Service, presented a program, giving NARFE the history of the Emergency Medical Service. He discussed Winchester Fire-EMS' staffing, education and training, ambulances, the services they provide, safety activities and their interaction with the community. Present at the meeting were Gayle Rees, Charlotte Rees, Billie Scrivner, Jean Brandenburg, Donald Spillman, Audrey King, Betty Hollon, Donald Henry, Janice Taulbee, Stoner Parsons, Helen Parsons, Philip Jackson, Mary Lee Jackson, Fred Dulin, Teresa Dulin, Bob Larkey, Jane Larkey, George Chalfant, Elizabeth Chalfant, Floyd Gibbs, Pat Gibbs, Ruby Lenox, Geneva Lenox, R.B. Omohundro, Lila Omohundro, Elbert Powell, Evelyn Powell, Elizabeth Bunch, Garrett Brown, Serena Brown and Diana Combs.

At the last regular Boyle County Fiscal Court meeting, the court decided to file a letter of intent to dismiss a member of the Boyle County Emergency Medical Services. After a personnel hearing Tuesday, a decision was made to dismiss EMS member Kevin Carpenter. Boyle County Judge-Executive Harold McKinney made the announcement Tuesday night at the Boyle County Fiscal Court meeting. The personnel committee consists of McKinney and two magistrates. No details were released about why Carpenter was dismissed.

The Jessamine County Fiscal Court Tuesday approved a 50 cent per hour pay raise for Jessamine County Emergency Medical Service employees. The raise, which covers all hours worked, including regular and scheduled overtime hours, will mean an increase of almost $600 per year for EMS crews. Magistrates approved Jessamine County Sheriff Kevin Corman's request for the release of funds for the purchase of two police cruisers from Countryside Ford of Lawrenceburg at a cost of $19,722 each.

Boyle County Fiscal Court is considering a collection service to go after unpaid EMS bills. At Tuesday nights meeting, EMS deputy director Malcolm Miller said that he already had been in contact with several agencies. The fiscal court began discussing the possibility of using a collection agency during the budget process. There currently are around $300,000 in outstanding payments and around $100,000 in payments are written off annually. Judge-Executive Harold McKinney said that it was not a foregone conclusion that a collection agency would be hired.

Saving lives may be part of a typical day for Boyle County EMS workers Benny Myers and James Gies, but May 11 proved to be anything but typical. While returning back to the station after an emergency call, Myers and Gies were shocked to see a small kitten seemingly tumble from the car ahead of them and roll onto the road in front of their ambulance. Afraid they would hit the kitten, they immediately stopped, got out and went to its aid. “I couldn't believe it was still alive after such a violent roll onto the road,” says Myers.

Soon, those in certain areas of Jessamine County will have the power to save someone's life if necessary - no training required. Jessamine County Emergency Medical Services has purchased seven automated external defibrillators (AEDs) it plans to distribute throughout the county. The AEDs will be placed in locations where large groups of people typically gather, EMS director Jerry Domidion said. “If there's a large congregation, there probably will be an AED,” he said.

The Nicholasville City Commission passed the first reading of an ordinance that would require hotels and motels operating inside the city limits to turn over their customers' information at the request of the Nicholasville public safety officials. The commission voted 5-0 on Monday evening's first reading. “A lot of cities have this, and it's (become) a burden to us at times when we need to know when we're looking for somebody, and we go to the hotels and (look at) their registers to see if they're there,” police chief Barry Waldrop said.

A mock shooting was performed Tuesday afternoon at Centre College just as a college community in Texas was struck by a real attack. While Centre students prepared for the drill about 3:30 p.m., students of Lone Star College were just being released from lockdown after 20-year-old Dylan Quick went on a stabbing spree, injuring more than a dozen people. Boyle County Sheriff Marty Elliott said the coincidence reinforced the very purpose of active shooter training. “Situations like that are the very reason why we try to prepare here,” Elliott said.

After a year of investigation and scrutiny, Jessamine County Fiscal Court and EMS director Jerry Domidion have been cleared of any wrongdoing in the resignation hearing of former EMT Tina Griggs. A referee decision by the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet Office of Employment and Training in Frankfort released the decision last week, stating Griggs' allegations that she had been forced to quit and was owed compensation were unfounded. “I think this validates the stance of the judge-executive (Neal Cassity)

At the end of last week's column, I mentioned that this week I'd fill you in on the details of the Black Friday Book Sale the library will be having at the end of this week. So, here are the details. This coming Friday and Saturday, Nov. 23-24, we'll be having a dollar a bag book sale in the library community room from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Dollar a bag? Yes, it's true. Come on down!  This book sale is open to the public.  You don't have to be a member of any particular organization.

During the weekend, emergency personnel conducted five local transfers and 10 out-of-town transfers. They also responded to eight general medical calls, three respiratory cases, two cardiac cases, five falls, three motor vehicle accidents, one assault, one diabetic case, one overdose and two engine assists.

Fifteen complaints were filed in October with Kentucky Office of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) against the Jessamine County EMS, however, the results and the possible rammifications of the investigation have not been made public. In a memo dated Oct. 25 from EMS director Jerry Domidion to the fiscal court, none of the initial complaints were verified by an OSHA investigator but two separate violations were revealed. “I'm very proud of our service,” Domidion wrote.

Garrard County has a new EMS director following Monday's Fiscal Court meeting, and the face may be a familiar one.  Stephanie Elam, a Garrard native, says she was offered and accepted the position, which had been made vacant following the departure of Charles “Chuck” O'Neal, who left to become the assistant director for the Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services. The decision to hire Elam was discussed in executive session during Monday's meeting. She was appointed by executive order.

LANCASTER - Garrard County Fiscal Court is in the process of finding a new emergency  medical services director, following Charles O'Neal's resignation, which will be effective Oct. 31. Near the close of the special-called Fiscal Court meeting Monday, the court entered into executive session to interview prospective directors. According to Garrard County Judge Executive John Wilson, the position was posted on the website for the Kentucky Board of EMS, which is a standard method of advertising.