Wright County EMS Services Update

In August 2018, the voters of Wright County approved the Ad Valorem property tax for EMS funding.  FY2019/2020 was the first official year of funding available to EMS services in Wright County.  The goal of this funding was to improve the EMS system for the citizens of Wright County.  Since July 2019 these are some of the items accomplished:
    

1. Shared Medical Director and Assistant Medical Director for the ambulance services based in Wright County.  
2. Shared EMS Protocols for the services based in Wright County.  This allows for EMS personnel to operate with the same consistent guidelines when providing care.
3. A shared roster between the services based in Wright County.  This allows for staff to assist in neighboring Wright County communities if needed.
4. A quick response vehicle operated by Iowa Specialty Hospital’s Belmond Ambulance Service has been established.  This service provides Advanced Life Support to outlying services if needed.  This would not have been possible without this funding opportunity.
5. EMS services that serve the citizens of Wright County have upgraded equipment with this funding.  (i.e. pagers, hand-held radios, defibrillator and other non-disposable equipment)
6. EMS services have allowed for EMT training to individuals wanting to help in their communities.  Currently Eagle Grove Ambulance Service has 5 individuals in an EMT class.
7. Additional Full-time and Part-time EMS staff has been added.  
8. Training opportunities have been made available to all the EMS services that serve Wright County.  
   • Wright County EMS Association Fall Weekend Training held last fall.
      Very well attended
   • Certified Ambulance Documentation class was held.
         Held online
         Approximately 50 people took the course
         Had the opportunity to share it also with Mary Greeley
   • Eagle Grove EMS had staff take the EMT class which was held in Eagle Grove, sponsored by ICCC.
   • Clarion EMS had individuals take EMT class last spring
   • Belmond EMS has had staff complete Paramedic training and currently has an individual taking the Paramedic class.
   • Renwick EMS had staff attend the Sioux Center EMS Conference
9. From July 2020 through March 2021, EMS services in Wright County have responded to approximately 744 911 calls with an average response time (time of notification to en-route) of between 5-7 minutes.  This takes into account getting woke up in the middle of the night, getting dressed and responding to their respective ambulance shed. 
10. We have an “arriving on-scene” time of 10 minutes of receiving notification.  This is an average of both in town and rural calls. 

“We knew this funding was not going to be an instant fix to the EMS system,” stated Brian Jensen, Paramedic and EMS Coordinator.”  I feel that we have made progress in improving EMS for the citizens of Wright County.  EMS services have continued to provide care to our citizens even through the strains of this global COVID-19 pandemic.”