Vernon County ambulance traffic increasing

Nevada Daily Mail

Volume is up and members of the Vernon County Ambulance District continue to stay at the ready.

During Friday's Nevada Vernon County Chamber of Commerce monthly luncheon, Vernon County Ambulance District Director James McKenzie told those in attendance that his five ambulances, 12 employees and another dozen volunteers average between 10 and 14 calls a day. The volunteers alone put in about 1,000 hours of time.

Additionally, he said, VCAD expects to handle about 500 transfers by the end of the year.

All those trips will cover some 49,765 billable miles for the year, he said.

Vernon County is the fourth largest in the state in square miles so the district covers a lot of distance.

"We try to respond within five to seven minutes. Our first responders often get there sooner."

Many of the calls are due to an individual's cardiac event. Still others are drug-related. "Overdoses have shot through the roof the last three years," he said.

McKenzie said that with all the activity, the district always keeps at least one truck in the county at all times.

VCAD is overseen by a six-member board of directors who are voted on by the citizens.

"They are very engaged," said McKenzie.

The district operates off a 15-cent property tax, with the rest of the funding coming through billing of Medicare and private insurance.

VCAD works in tandem with law enforcement, and city and rural fire departments. It operates with a variety of vehicles, depending on the need.

McKenzie noted the cost of purchasing ambulances continues to increase, as the equipment also gets more expensive.

Not only is the technology a factor but also the portable stretcher beds used in the ambulances are now rated at 300 pounds, as national and local trends show an increased patient weight.

When the district isn't responding to an emergency or request for service, there remains plenty to do, with constant cleaning, checking and servicing of equipment.

And each piece of equipment is vital when it comes to being able to respond quickly, pointed out McKenzie.

"We have to depend on ourselves in rural America. We need the right tools and equipment to do the job. Having the right equipment allows us to get better response times for better patient outcomes," McKenzie said in a previous interview.

Having what the district needs has had a dramatic effect in life-and-death situations. "Our response times for cardiac and trauma cases have really dropped, and that's really helped the outcome of the patients."

Like other areas of society, technology has had a significant impact on the district.

"EMS has changed a lot, especially in the last five years," said McKenzie. "There are new medicines and new treatment options. Technology has changed what we can do in the field and that's beneficial to the lives you can affect.

"This is exciting, not only for better patient outcomes but also for ultimately lowering the cost to the patient.

"When the need arises, we cover our citizens as best we can. I believe we're well prepared to take care of any situation."