County Officials, Koontz Lake Fire Department Resolve Medical Call Issue

Sheriff Oscar Cowen, Council President Dave Pearman, EMA Director Ted Bombagetti, EMS Director Paul Mathewson, Chief Dispatcher Dawn Bau, Koontz Lake Fire Chief Andy Lawrence and Oregon Township Trustee Mark Allen
Sheriff Oscar Cowen, Council President Dave Pearman, EMA Director Ted Bombagetti, EMS Director Paul Mathewson, Chief Dispatcher Dawn Bau, Koontz Lake Fire Chief Andy Lawrence and Oregon Township Trustee Mark Allen

County officials have offered the Koontz Lake Volunteer Fire Department what they hope is a workable option to make sure they are able to respond in tandem with Starke County EMS to all medical calls. Members of the fire department took exception with the county’s policy to let Grovertown-based Medic 5 decide whether they need their assistance, saying the department has provided medical services to year-round and seasonal residents since its establishment in the early 1940s. Starke County Council President Dave Pearman, who is also a volunteer firefighter, says public safety is the county’s number one concern. He says the Koontz Lake Fire Department’s pagers can be programmed to get the EMS calls automatically. He says it will cost the township about $30 per pager.

Township Trustee Mark Allen called a meeting of fire department, EMS, dispatch, sheriff’s office, emergency management and county government representatives. “The whole purpose of this meeting wasn’t trying to point fingers at anybody. I think some people might have thought about that in the meeting, but it’s not the case. This was just a matter of everybody getting on the same page and working for what’s best for the township. At least now we have an option. Actually Dave had a good suggestion. That was never suggested before. That would have been great to know that,” Allen told WKVI news after the meeting. Continue reading

ALS Service Running Well in Starke County

Paul Mathewson
Paul Mathewson
The Advanced Life Service that has been available in the Starke County area for just over a year is doing well, according to EMS Director Paul Mathewson.

“It’s going great,” stated Mathewson. “When you have a committed staff of employees from the paramedics to the EMTs to the office staff and you’re on the same page to try to achieve the same goal of providing the best service around, great things can happen.”

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Starke County EMS to Introduce Vehicle History and Use Forms

Paul Mathewson

Starke County EMS Director Paul Mathewson told the county commissioners this week that they are working on a number of changes to policies currently in place, including the implementation of a standardized vehicle report.

Mathewson explained that they are working on developing the vehicle report, which would keep tabs on all ambulances currently in service with details on each vehicle, including make, model, mileage, and years, in order to help facilitate a two-year rotation. Mathewson said he hopes that it will be standardized across the board for the sheriff’s department, highway department, and other departments that utilize county vehicles in an effort to monitor their use and ensure they are properly maintained and replaced when the time comes.

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Starke County EMS Director Says We Need Power Cots, Stair Chairs

Paul Mathewson

Starke County EMS Director Paul Mathewson informed the Starke County Commissioners last week that he is looking into more modern equipment that might cut down on Workers Compensation Claims. He specifically said that he is pricing power-lifting cots and stair chairs.

One of the real dangers for EMS personnel is bringing patients from their home to the ambulance. Many back injury claims have been submitted in the past, and Mathewson said it would pay off in the long run to cut down on these injuries.

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Two New Paramedics Further Improve ALS Services

Tiffany Townsend, EMS Director Paul Mathewson and Jennifer Kelly

EMS Director Paul Mathewson introduced two new paramedics to the county commissioners this week: Jennifer Kelly, a paramedic from Laporte County, and Tiffany Townsend, an ALS-certified paramedic whose skills will come in heavy use with the new certification.

Mathewson told the commissioners that the necessity of ALS is not determined until the paramedics arrive on the scene of a call and, based on symptoms and other indicators, pronounce the subject to have a need of Advanced Life Support. Mathewson said that these indicators can range from skin color to profuse sweating.

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Starke County Ambulance Service to be ALS Certified

Paul Mathewson

Advanced Life Support service for Starke County may be only a few weeks away. That was the message the Starke County Commissioners heard last week from EMS Director Paul Mathewson.

“We found out that the application itself got accepted by the State for us to go ahead and move forward in becoming ALS certified,” said Mathewson.

Mathewson said he’s waiting on the state to come down and inspect the rigs and equipment before he can move ahead.

“We’re getting in equipment to stock the ambulance itself with all of the necessary equipment to run an ALS rig. We’re in the process of hiring on new paramedics to upgrade our service so that when the State is able to come down, we’re ready to go.”

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Starke County EMS Accepting Donations for Food Pantry

The Starke County EMS family is currently accepting canned goods and non-perishable items at each of the county’s EMS stations. The emergency responders will be collecting items through Christmas. The donations will be given to the county food pantry.

EMS Director, Paul Mathewson, said that while they are collecting food at each of the stations in Grovertown, Knox, and North Judson, they are accepting donations of coats for those in need this winter season. They hope to get coats for children and adults in time for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. New or gently used coats will be accepted.