Fossil to hold EMT and volunteer recruitment Thursday, October 24

A community meeting has been scheduled at the Isobel Edwards Hall for October 24 at 5:30 PM. The goal is to recruit new volunteers in the community with a focus on EMTs.

Fossil's Volunteer Ambulance was suspended in July due to a lack of active volunteers. Healthcare emergencies in Fossil have been handled by LifeFlight and by the Wheeler County Sheriff's Office.

Finding a path forward is of upmost importance to the Fossil City Council and the Wheeler County Court.

Mayor Terri Hunt, who will retire in January after finishing her term, says that efforts to get temporary EMTs and grant funding have so far been unsuccessful. The Fossil City Council oversees the Fossil Volunteer Ambulance, and says that a lack of volunteers and engagement has resulted in this unfortunate situation.

With wildfires burning throughout the county this summer, and hundreds of wildland firefighters in the area, the potential for disaster has been evident. The need to quickly recruit volunteers and to get them licensed as EMTs has never been more necessary. On average, training and licensure for EMTs takes between four and six months.