Lincoln County Commissioners are addressing what has been termed “An Emergency Medical Services crisis.” They recently voted to create an Emergency Medical Services Advisory Board and appointed the seven members to it.
Purpose of that board is to begin addressing the crisis in Lincoln County.
Appointments to the board represent a broad base of those who have knowledge dealing with what has become a critical issue in the county. They include Darrel Kee, from Miller EMS, Tre McMcPherson, of Survival Flight, Bobby Buchannan, Chandler Fire Chief, Stroud City Manager Bob Pearman, Mike Callanan, Agra Fire Chief, Blaine Pace, Iowa Tribe Fire Chief, and Cody McDonell, Emergency Management Director.
Pearman has agreed to chair the group. McDonell said the board is subject to the open meeting and open records laws and tentatively has agreed to meet at 3 p.m. on the last Wednesday of each month at the Chandler Fire Station.
“Our primary purpose will be to seek solutions to the EMS crisis in Lincoln County and determine the best action to achieve that,” he has emphasized.
During the commissioners’ first meeting in July, an agenda item that was labeled “Lincoln County EMS crisis” was discussed at length with various possible solutions suggested. While commissioners took no official action, they strongly hinted at that time they favored setting up a committee to discuss various possibilities.
District 1 Commissioner Will Fine even suggested possibly putting it on a ballot as an issue by itself.
A proposition for establishing an Emergency Medical Service District, and commonly referred to as a countywide ambulance service district, was placed on the ballot but rejected by voters in July of 2021.
It was pointed out, though, a second proposition for construction of a new $13.5 million county jail was also on the same ballot.
It’s been stressed that area wise Lincoln County is a huge county.
One person attending that meeting told commissioners, “We’re receiving more and more calls all the time,” and another informed them their ambulance service had responded to 1,100 calls in June and that didn’t include those for fires.
District 3 Commissioner Lee Doolen, who chairs the county commission, has noted, “I think this group is important right now to serve as an advisory board to see how we want to go.”
It appears to us this is a sensible approach to addressing a vital issue that can impact any person at any time in Lincoln County.
Even those outside of the county traveling through it or visiting for whatever reason can be impacted.
Commissioners working with the Sheriff and his staff, through the use of ARPA funds, are working toward the expansion and remodeling of the jail. While it’s not an entirely new jail, it will serve the needs for years to come once the final design is approved, bids let and construction is done.
We encourage commissioners, working with the advisory board, they have appointed, to come up with solutions to this emergency services crisis which will only worsen if they don’t.
Keeping the public informed will be important as well.