% WELL, ANN ZENK, THANKS VERY
% MUCH.
% >> THANK YOU.
% >> THE STATE'S NETWORK OF
% EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES IS
% CRUMBLING AND DANGEROUSLY
% UNRELIABLE.%THAT'S ACCORDING
TO A NEW REPORT
% FROM THE OFFICE OF RURAL HEALTH.
% "HERE AND NOW" REPORTER STEVE
% POTTER LOOKS AT THE GROWING
% PROBLEMS AND PROPOSED SOLUTIONS.
% >> THIS IS A HEARTBREAK.
% THIS IS A TRAGEDY.
% >> BECAUSE WHEN YOU CALL 9-1-1,
% YOU EXPECT AN AMBULANCE TO SHOW
% UP AND SHOW UP SOON.
% (Siren).
% >> BUT FOR SOME COMMUNITIES
% AROUND THE STATE, PARTICULARLY
% RURAL ONES, THERE'S A GROWING
% CONCERN THAT EMERGENCY MEDICAL
% SERVICES WON'T BE THERE TO
% ANSWER CALLS.
% THE PROBLEM, A STAFFING
% SHORTAGE.% >> WE HAVE A CRI
SIS NOT UNLIKE
% OTHER INDUSTRIES, LIKE RETAIL
% AND OTHERWISE, BUT STAFFING FOR
% E.M.S. MEANS LIFE AND DEATH.
% IT MEANS SOMEBODY NOT SHOWING UP
% TO A CALL, AN AMBULANCE NOT
% ARRIVING.%WHAT WE STARTED TO
SEE IN THE
% LAST COUPLE OF YEARS,
% DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN CLOSING,
% AND SOMETIMES THERE'S A MUTUAL
% AID AGREEMENT FOR ANOTHER
% DEPARTMENT TO COME IN AND HELP
% OUT, BUT MANY TIMES, TOWNS,
% CITIES, VILLAGES ARE WITHOUT
% E.M.S.%THEY HAVE NOBODY.
% >> A NEW SUPPER FROM THE UW
% MADISON OF RURAL HEALTH SHOWS
% THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEMS.
% MORE THAN 40% OF STATE E.M.S.
% AGENCIES HAD STAFFING GAPS WHERE
% NO AMBULANCE WAS AVAILABLE FOR
% EMERGENCY CALLS.
% AND ALMOST 80% OF E.M.S.
% AGENCIES WERE CALLED TO COVER AN
% EMERGENCY IN A NEIGHBORING
% COMMUNITY.
% >> WE SAW THAT IN 10
% COMMUNITIES, THERE WERE SERVICES
% THAT REPORTED THAT AN AMBULANCE
% NEVER GOT TO A CALL AT ALL, THAT
% THERE WAS 9-1-1 CALLS REQUESTING
% AMBULANCES.
% THEY DIDN'T HAVE STAFFING
% AVAILABLE AND THEY NEVER HAD AN
% AMBULANCE MAKE IT TO A CALL.
% >> AT THE HEART OF THE CURRENT
% STAFFING STRUGGLES IS THE FACT
% THAT, FOR DECADES, WISCONSIN'S
% E.M.S. OPERATIONS HAVE BEEN
% BUILT UPON AND ALMOST
% EXCLUSIVELY BEEN SUPPORTED BY
% VOLUNTEERS.
% >> RIGHT NOW, 79% OF OUR STATE
% ACTUALLY RELIES ON VOLUNTEERS TO
% STAFF THEIR 9/11 CALLS, WHICH IS
% A HUGE AMOUNT IF YOU'RE TALKING
% ABOUT MAJORITY OF THE STATE
% RELIES ON VOLUNTEERS, SOME THAT
% MIGHT GET PAID A STIPEND, MIGHT
% NOT GET PAID AT ALL, A LOT OF
% TIMES HAVING TO PAY OUT OF THEIR
% OWN POCKET, SO WE HAVE MANY
% RURAL AREAS THAT ARE USING
% VOLUNTEERS TO KIND OF SUBSIDIZE
% THE COST OF E.M.S.
% >> PAUL BLOUNT IS THE CHIEF OF
% THE E.M.S. OPERATIONS FOR THE
% CAMBRIDGE AREA.
% THE COMBINATION MODEL HAS BECOME
% A POPULAR SOLUTION.
% WE HAVE SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS THAT
% WORK HERE FULL TIME, THIS IS
% THEIR FULL-TIME JOB, AND THEN
% SOME PART-TIME MEMBERS AND THEN
% COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER PAID ON-CALL
% MEMBERS, AND THAT IS A PRETTY
% POPULAR STAFFING STRATEGY AND
% WHAT IT DOES IS HELP ADDRESS THE
% NEED FOR 24/7/365 AMBULANCE
% COVERAGE.
% >> CHIEF BLOUNT STARTED AS AN
% E.M.S. VOLUNTEER HIMSELF YEARS
% AGO.
% HE UNDERSTANDS WHY IT'S HARD TO
% KEEP ENOUGH VOLUNTEERS TO STAFF
% AMBULANCES.
% >> FAMILY DEMANDS, WORK DEMANDS,
% AND THEN JUST A STRUGGLE TO JUST
% FIND PEOPLE TO DO THE JOB AND TO
% VOLUNTEER ESPECIALLY TO DO THE
% JOB.
% >> THE PRIME EXAMPLE OF THE
% E.M.S. STAFFING SHORTAGE IS
% HAPPENING THEIR IN LAKE MILLS IN
% JEFFERSON COUNTY.
% >> UNFORTUNATELY, A BIT OVER A
% YEAR AGO, WE REALIZED THAT WE
% WERE NOT BEING SUCCESSFUL AT
% RECRUITING AND RETAINING PEOPLE.
% WE WERE ALSO HAVING SOME
% FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES WITH ALL
% OF THAT GOING ON BASICALLY, WE
% HAVE HAD TO MAKE THE DECISION
% THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE CLOSING
% OUR DOORS HERE ON JUNE 30th.
% BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN SERVING
% THIS COMMUNITY, OUR FRIENDS, OUR
% NEIGHBORS FOR CLOSE TO 50 YEARS,
% THAT IN ITSELF IS THE -- CLOSING
% THE DOORS IS JUST TRAGIC.
% >> WHETHER YOU'RE A PAID
% EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN OR
% EVEN AN E.M.S. VOLUNTEER,
% EXTENSIVE TRAINING, EDUCATION
% AND CERTIFICATION FROM THE STATE
% IS REQUIRED.
% AND ON TOP OF THAT, JIM
% COLEGROVE NOTES, THE WORK ISN'T
% FOR THE FAINT OF HEART.
% >> THIS IS A DIRTY JOB.
% THIS IS VERY DIFFICULT.
% YOU ARE DEALING WITH HUMAN
% BEINGS IN SOME OF THEIR WORST
% POSSIBLE TIMES AND YOU HAVE TO
% HAVE A LOT OF EMPATHY FOR THOSE
% PEOPLE AND YOU HAVE TO BE
% WILLING BE WORKING IN AN
% ENVIRONMENT WHERE SOMEBODY IS
% THROWING UP ON YOU.
% YOU ARE WORKING A CODE AND YOU
% ARE DOING C.P.R. ON SOMEBODY
% THAT YOU KNOW WHO LIVES JUST
% DOWN THE STREET, THAT TYPE OF
% THING, AND SO IT IS VERY
% EMOTIONALLY CHARGED, BUT IT IS
% GENERALLY VERY MUCH A SENSE OF
% WANTING TO GIVE BACK TO A
% COMMUNITY.%>> LAKE MILLS IS N
OW IN THE
% PROCESS OF JOINING THE CAMBRIDGE
% AREA E.M.S. GROUP.
% A NUMBER OF E.M.S. AGENCIES
% AROUND THE STATE HAVE ENTERED
% INTO SIMILAR CONSOLIDATION
% AGREEMENTS WITH NEIGHBORHOODS
% COMMUNITIES.
% A TEMPORARILY SOLUTION IS ASKING
% RESIDENTS, THROUGH BALLOT
% REFERENDUMS, FOR MORE MONEY, BUT
% FOR A LONG-TERM SOLUTION, E.M.S.
% OFFICIALS ARE SEEKING MORE
% STABLE FUNDING FROM THE STATE.
% >> THE STATE REALLY, RIGHT NOW,
% NEEDS TO STEP N-NEEDS TO PROVIDE
% PERMANENT FUNDING.
% >> DEYOUNG SAYS SUCH FUNDING
% WILL NEED TO BE SUBSTANTIAL AND
% SUSTAINABLE.%>> WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT $500
% MILLION IN A BUDGET EMERGENCY
% MANAHOPEFULLYFOR A TWO-YEAR BUDE
% EVERY DEPARTMENT ABOUT WHAT THEY
% NEED.
% SOME WILL GET LESS, SOME MORE,
% BASED ON ON HOW RURAL THEY ARE.
% >> TO MAKE THAT FUNDING DREAM A
% REALITY, E.M.S. OPERATORS HAVE
% BEGAN KNOCKING ON LAWMAKERS'
% DOORS AT THE CAPITOL.
% >> AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED,
% POLICE, FIRE EXPEMS, E.M.S. IS
% THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
% >> OH EAU CLAIRE AREA STATE
% SENATOR JESSE JAMES HAS WORKED
% HAND IN HAND ON EMERGENCY CALLS
% AS A FORMER POLICE AND FIRE
% CHEER IN ALTONA.
% HE SAYS HE KNOWS HOW NECESSARY
% THESE SERVICES ARE.
% >> IT'S ESSENTIAL FOR ALL OF US,
% WHETHER YOU'RE IN THE URBAN AREA
% OR RURAL AREA, WE NEED TO HAVE
% THESE SERVICES AVAILABLE TO
% SERVE OUR COMMUNITIES.
% >> SENATOR JAMES SAYS HE WANTS
% TO EXPLORE FINANCIAL INCENTIVES
% FOR SMALLER COMMUNITIES TO
% CONSOLIDATE THEIR E.M.S.
% OPERATIONS, BUT HE'S UNSURE HOW
% MUCH REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS ARE
% WILLING TO GIVE TO E.M.S.
% AGENCIES IN THEIR STATE BUDGET.
% >> THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME MONEY
% PUT INTO IT.
% I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WOULD REACH
% THAT $500 MILLION MARK, THOUGH.
% >> E.M.S. OFFICIALS SAY THEY
% ALSO NEED MORE MONEY FOR
% RECRUITMENTS EFFORTS TO HELP
% ATTRACT MORE POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES
% TO THE FIELD.
% ACCORDING TO THE STATE
% DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES,
% OVER THE LAST DECADE, AMBULANCE
% PATIENT NUMBERS HAVE NEARLY
% DOUBLED FROM ABOUT 500,000
% PATIENTS PER YEAR TO MORE THAN
% 900,000.%OVER THAT SAME 10 YE
ARS,
% HOWEVER, THE NUMBER OF E.M.S.
% PROVIDERS HAS GONE FROM 20,000
% TO JUST 21,000, AN INCREASE OF
% ONLY 5%.
% AND, DEYOUNG SAYS, THOSE FIGURES
% ARE ABOUT TO GET MUCH WORSE.
% >> WE ARE ACTUALLY ESTIMATING
% ABOUT 25, 26% OF ALL LICENSED
% E.M.S. PROVIDERS ARE PROBABLY
% GOING TO LET THEIR LICENSE LAPSE
% THIS RENEWAL YEAR.
% YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A WORKFORCE
% CUTTING IT DOWN BY A QUARTER.
% >> E.M.S. LEADERS HOLD OUT HOPE
% THAT STATE LAWMAKERS WILL
% RESPOND TO THE NEED.
% >> I THINK THAT THERAPIES --
% THAT THERE IS INTENT IN THE
% LEGISLATURE TO TRY TO ADDRESS
% THIS ISSUE.
% IT SEEMS TO BE VERY HIGH
% PRIORITY.
% I'M GETTING CONTACTED BY
% LEGISLATORS NUMEROUS TIMES A
% WEEK WANTING INFORMATION ON THE
% SYSTEM, WANTING TO KNOW SOME OF
% THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY AND SO
% ON.%I DON'T KNOW WHAT E.M.S.
2.0 IS
% GOING TO LOOK LIKE, BUT WE KNOW
% THAT E.M.S. 1.0 HAS RUN ITS