Ambulance services suspended in Fossil, strained elsewhere

TONED OUT: Emergency Medical Services

Part 1 of a series that explores the challenges and potential solutions for ambulatory services in Wheeler, Gilliam, and Sherman counties.

The Wheeler Co. Fair and Rodeo was held last week in Fossil, and people throughout the area traveled to the Wheeler County Fairgrounds for the time-honored tradition.

By all appearances, everything went off without a hitch.

But behind the scenes, volunteers with the fair board were scrambling to find an ambulance service for the rodeo on Friday and Saturday nights.

For decades, the Fossil Ambulance has filled that duty with volunteers. But last month, the two remaining volunteer Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) with the ambulance resigned at the Fossil City Council meeting. Their departure came after a year of warning the city council that they would not continue and that too much was being asked of too few volunteers.

The fair board worked to contract with an outside ambulance crew but could not finalize a deal in such a short time. Ultimately, the fair board found two EMTs at the eleventh hour, and the rodeo was held without incident. However, for the weeks and months ahead, residents of Fossil are preparing for emergencies and understand that they can't expect an ambulance when they have an emergency.

While residents of Fossil know the current situation, motorists and visitors to the area are unaware of the potential dangers when visiting.

Last week, Fossil City Mayor Terri Hunt participated in a call with Oregon Solutions staff representing the Governor's Office. Wheeler Co. Undersheriff and Emergency Services Manager Mitch Elliott arranged the call. A task force was assembled to solve the problem, but there is a long road ahead.

There is hope that volunteers from years past will step forward while a solution is found or that Condon or Spray will offer temporary assistance.

On July 31st, Spray Ambulance notified Mayor Hunt that they would help when they could, but they are currently operating with a skeleton crew themselves.

Just three years ago, the Spray Ambulance had 13 active medical responders on its roster. Now, the Spray Ambulance has just six regular volunteers: one Intermediate EMT, three EMTs, one EMR, and one driver.

The Spray Ambulance has just enough volunteers to provide coverage and to give each other days off on a rotation.

For an ambulance crew to operate in Oregon, there needs to be a driver and two medical responders - one of whom must have an EMT certification or above.

During the Spray Rodeo this year, the Spray Ambulance recommended that the rodeo contract with an outside ambulance due to low crew numbers. Contracting with an outside entity is uncharted territory for the Spray crew, which has supported the rodeo for decades.

Now, the Spray crew feels extra pressure to support the Fossil area.

"If we absolutely have to, if it's a critical life threat, we'll leave Spray unprotected to go to Mitchell or go to Fossil with our one single crew, and that's only because we all have consciences," said Joan Field, an Intermediate EMT with the Spray Volunteer Ambulance.

When asked how the Spray crew works out their calendar or arranges for time off, Field says that it's tricky. Should the ambulance respond to an emergency and take a patient several hours to the emergency room in Madras or Prineville, a second crew, if available, would be activated – or "toned out" – to respond to a second emergency, even if it's their day off.

Where are the volunteers?

The Fossil Ambulance buckled with just two EMTs, who naturally burned out. It became impossible to take a day off, and they could forget about an overnight trip out of town. Also, EMTs in Fossil, who have full-time jobs, had to take time away from work to respond to emergencies or calls for transport for minor injuries or ailments.

The consensus in the area is that more volunteers are needed and that there is less volunteerism than in years past. Those who volunteered for decades and are now ready to retire wonder when the next generation will step up.

Joan Field believes that the COVID pandemic fundamentally changed people's dedication and time spent volunteering in their communities. Data supports this belief. According to Philanthropy News Digest, Americans are volunteering 7% less than they did in 2019. But the study found that volunteerism nationwide has dropped significantly – by nearly 15% in the past thirteen years.

The bigger issue in Wheeler County is that fewer young people are available.

The 2000 US Census found that the median age in Wheeler County was 48.1 years.

Today, Wheeler County has the highest median age of any county in Oregon, with an average age of 59.2 years, according to the 2020 US Census.

Joan Field says that sometimes she sees potential in a younger person in the community, but for various reasons, they are not stepping forward.

"I see with younger people there are restrictions on your life, Field says. "If you're going to volunteer for ambulance or for fire... if you have something to drink you can't respond for at least eight hours from when you took that last drink. And a lot of young people like to have a beer when they get off work."

Field says that young people are also very busy with work and small children.

"They're smart, they're capable, but they're busy."

Still, there is concern that younger people may not be aware of the cost to the community or even their loved ones if volunteers don't step forward. The situation unfolding in Fossil could happen in other communities in the area.

And even when a volunteer signs up to join the ambulance, there is a lengthy process ahead.

EMT classes and certification typically take about a year to complete. The process is also costly-about $5,000. This fee is typically paid by the oversight entity, such as the Fossil City Council or the non-profit that manages the Spray Ambulance. But a commitment to finishing the program and to spend the funds wisely is important to municipalities and entities with small budgets.

As the search for volunteers becomes more urgent, people in Fossil wonder what a year without ambulatory services might look like.

Fortunately, two Sheriff's Deputies in Wheeler County are EMT certified. Due to the county's large size and the droves of tourists that flock to the Painted Hills and the Journey Through Time on Highway 19, Sheriff's Deputies are often the first responders to accidents or incidents.

However, this is not a viable long-term solution, as pulling Sheriff's Deputies away from their duties to respond to medical emergencies is not sustainable.

In the months ahead, the mutual aid of neighboring ambulance crews will be put to the test. On the front lines will be dedicated volunteer responders with emergency medical services. The timely decisions made by city and county elected officials and the support given by the State will be crucial. While this crisis is unfolding in Fossil, the danger looms in Spray, and for other communities in Wheeler, Gilliam, and Sherman counties.

Editor's Note: The Times-Journal will publish a series of articles on Emergency Medical Services in the tri-county area. Next week, we'll examine other models of EMS services in the area and proposals for improvements. For this article, we have omitted the names of volunteers with the Fossil Ambulance. These volunteers gave decades of their lives to the community, and in our opinion, the current situation is not of their making.