Plains Ambulance connects with community

Preparations are underway at the Plains Ambulance as volunteers prepare for an open house, which will be held on Thursday, Nov. 11 at 6 p.m. The open house was planned as a way for Plains Emergency Medical Services volunteers to meet and greet members of the community.

“We just want to remind people we’re here,” volunteer EMT John Sheridan said.

Plains Ambulance is an organization that provides lifesaving support to not only the Plains community, but outlying areas as well, working closely with the Clark Fork Valley Hospital to keep people alive and safe until they are transported to the hospital. Still, Plains Ambulance is an organization that relies largely on outside contributions for support. So, it is often times difficult for the organization to fund its projects.

“We don’t come out ahead very often,” Sheridan said.

A large part of the open house will be to drum up interest from potential volunteers. The organization has done some reorganizing from a personnel standpoint, and is looking for people who are willing to share some of their time. As a volunteer group, Plains Ambulance is always looking for new volunteers, but according to Sheridan, the organization specifically needs some young blood to round out the ranks.

“We only have a few young people,” Sheridan said. “Most of the volunteers are older.”

In addition to seeking new recruits, the open house is also intended to gain support for the organization’s upcoming projects and improvements. At this point, much of what is scheduled is regular facilities maintenance, such as new paint and various repairs. But, volunteers with the Plains Ambulance hope to spruce up the place a bit with new carpet and possibly air conditioning for the next summer season.

Plains Ambulance is also seeking support for updating and expanding its cache of lifesaving tools and supplies.

“We’re always looking at the possibility for getting new equipment,” Sheridan said.

For instance, one of the possible additions to the volunteers’ arsenal would be a new heart monitor for the ambulance, which would communicate a patient’s heart information to the hospital, where a trained cardiologist would be able to advise EMTs on the best course of action in treating the patient. Sheridan stated that much of what he has had to rely on comes down to training and gut feeling, and this additional technology could provide him and other EMTs with a lifesaving edge.

Plains Ambulance would also like to expand its tool chest of extraction boards, stretchers and power stretchers, as these are the main tools used in initially transporting a patient to safety.

With all the technology that the organization considers, there is always a balance between the costs of the equipment versus the number of instances where the equipment could potentially be used. Still, Plains Ambulance always tries to be up to date.

“We like to see what’s out there,” Sheridan said.

In the future, Plains Ambulance is also considering moving its entire program from a basic life support response to an intermediate life support response. This would involve more authorizations for EMTs, and would allow teams to conduct more on-scene treatments.

The open house will be located at the Plains Ambulance building in Plains, and will feature food and drink, as well as a show and tell with the ambulance and medical equipment. The event is intended as a way to touch base with the public.

“We’re trying to spread the word to the community that we’re moving forward,” Sheridan said.