LINDA PAYNE

In an effort to reduce response times and expand provided services, Caldwell County Emergency Medical Services and local fire departments are joining forces.

In several communities across the county, trained paramedics are working hand-in-hand with fire personnel no matter the type of call. From routine medical responses to serious vehicle collisions and structure fires, both firefighters and medical personnel are rolling out together.

"We have stationed our people and placed equipment at several fire departments throughout the county to enhance our services," said EMS Director Tommy Courtner. "After reviewing our call logs and measuring our response times, we discovered that a cooperative effort among all of us is exactly what our community needed. It is not to say that things weren't working before, but this additional partnership is proving to be a benefit across the board."

To date, Courtner said programs have been established in the Collettsville, Gamewell and Little River fire districts. He said his staff are spending approximately half of their shifts living and working with department members. They respond with fire personnel to each and every call and provide backup support to surrounding neighborhoods.

"Those first few minutes after an emergency is called in are so critical to saving someone's life. By sharing our resources, we are able to make direct contact with those patients in our outlying communities quicker than when we were traveling from the Lenoir base," said EMS Training Coordinator Kenneth Teague. "We still send the backup ambulance from the Lenoir base to assist with transporting the patient, but our patients are receiving the full attention they need the moment first responders arrive on scene."

In the Collettsville community, one of the first to adopt this method, Fire Chief Chad Gragg said things are running smoothly. He said the paramedics are at the department between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. every day of the week, which has drastically cut down on the length of response times.

While the volume of emergency calls isn't as great as other areas, the geography of the district has a great impact on response times. Gragg said Collettsville's fire district spans 104 square miles, so having the paramedic already stationed at the department has cut response times significantly.

"We saw this kind of partnership work well a few years ago in Burke County, and our community has really accepted this idea," Gragg said. "They like having the paramedics already in the community because their neighbors are receiving the treatment they need faster."

Courtner agreed, noting that the Collettsville Fire Department really is the halfway point to its district. He said the response time from Lenoir is approximately 15 minutes to the department, which is added to the time needed to arrive in Edgemont or the Globe.

"This partnership is a prime example of how a cooperative effort can help spread the resources and provide expanded care to our residents," said Caldwell County Commissioner Don Barrier. "This has been a great thing for this community, and it's been exciting to watch the momentum build for this project."

For the Gamewell community, which came aboard just last week, one of the ambulances normally posted in Lenoir has been moved to the Gamewell Fire Department. The crew spends 12 hours a day at the department running calls with firefighters. But, that crew also serves as backup for the one in Lenoir, which means it is available to run to its surrounding communities as needed.

"Gamewell probably is one of the hottest areas in terms of volume of calls," Courtner said. "By placing an ambulance, and its crew, at this department, we not only are speeding up our response time, we also have quick access to other communities, including Hudson, North Catawba and Lenoir.

Paramedic Cecil Teeters said he welcomes the change and looks forward to working with the Gamewell volunteers. He said that while it may take some time to work some kinks out, he truly believes this will be a win-win situation for all involved.

"It may take a little while for our personalities to mesh because we are used to our normal routine, but you better believe that when those tones goes off, we will become one family to best serve the needs of our patients," Teeters said. "This is also going to ease the load of our other unit in Lenoir, because if we share the work load, it should cut down on the amount of time we spend running from call to call."

Courtner said he first approached Gamewell Chief Keith Owens and his board of directors about six months ago. He said he wanted to see the partnership form because it provides two additional sets of hands on calls and assistance with their community-based programs.

"We are excited about this opportunity, and I have confidence that our residents will welcome the idea," Owens said. "We look forward to working with EMS and seeing how this new partnership helps our district."

At the Little River Fire Department, the partnership works a little differently. Instead of Courtner sending his staff to the department, Little River volunteers are considered part-time staff of the county. Since four of the volunteers are trained paramedics and have experience with the county, including Fire Chief Steve Brown, those individuals function as county employees when advanced life support is needed

Courtner said the agreement is just like the other stations. The department supplies the vehicles while EMS provides the appropriate equipment, and coverage is provided 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

"We think this is a great situation in this community," Courtner said. "Since the ambulance remains in the district at all times, the amount of time needed to begin patient care is cut by nearly 10 minutes. Another advantage is the fact that these volunteers live in the Oak Hill community. They know the district better than anyone."

Brown said he thinks the program is working well so far. He said the team effort provided by everyone is making an impact on the community, and he attributes its success to the willingness of his volunteers.

"This program would not be what it is without the support of my crew and board members," Brown said. "We truly believe in taking ownership in what we do by giving our all on every call. This community is like a family. It truly is neighbors helping neighbors."