Local EMS members receive Silver Award
Front row, Bath County EMS Members, Mary Linda Copher and Bill Hornback; Daniel Drake, flight paramedic; Gary Bealert, Bath County EMS member; Bud Cook, Stemi Care director; Josh Brand, operations manager for the state of Kentucky; back row, Jeffery Caywood, National Membership representative; Tim Johnson, Bath County Ambulance Board; and Charles Williams, base manager.
Members of the Bath County Fiscal Court met in regular session Thursday, Nov. 10.
Before members voted to approve last months minutes, County Judge Executive Bobby Rogers, noted a correction that needed to be made in the minutes from last months meeting. “Where it says Mitchell Thompson was approved as a seasonal deputy jailer, it should say Jimmy Davis,” Rogers said.
A resolution made during a special called meeting that gives the County Judge Executive the authority to sign memorandums was also approved as was the treasurer’s report, bills and transfers.
During the meeting members from PHI Air-Medical, Josh Brand, Jeffery Caywood, Daniel Drake, Charles Williams and Bud Cook were on hand to present members of the Bath County EMS with the American Heart Association Silver Award for implementing quality measures while tending to heart attack patients.
Bud Cook explained that a Stemi is a type of heart attack and is one of the deadliest types a person can have.
“The American Heart Association recognizes the life saving role that EMS provides on a daily basis by having the correct tools and processing the protocols in place that allows your local EMS system to work well in getting Stemi patients to a destination center facility in a timely fashion. Being awarded with the silver award means your local EMS paired with the work of PHI-Air Medical in getting at least 75 percent of their patients to a cath lab and PCI center in under 90 minutes, so that’s phenomenal work. I can tell you that this award is only one of 16 that was given in the state of Kentucky this year, and there were only 565 other EMS agencies awarded this award in the nation in 2016, so you are a really high performing, high quality EMS. We are here this morning to recognize the hard work of your local EMS members and to celebrate the lives being saved in your community,” Cook said.
In addition to the Silver Award for their work as Emergency Medical Service members, Gary Bealert, Bill Hornback, Mary Linda Copher and Tim Johnson were also presented with a Commemorative Award.
“I’ve been an EMS for 35 years and the work that your local EMS members do here is a tremendous help to us, we are just one part of the patient care spectrum,” Williams said. “With EMS getting the patients at the scene and calling us for assistance allows your local EMS to help speed up the process of getting those patients to a care facility and being given the silver award is a great accomplishment. So we want to present them with a commemorative award to show our appreciation of what they have been able to do for us,” Williams explained.
While representatives from Enterprise Fleet were not available to make their presentation, Rogers explained the leasing plan for fleet vehicles and how the lease process would work for the county.
Rogers stated he would try to get Enterprise to attend the next meeting so the court could make a decision based on more detailed information.
Members approved a motion to bring the breakers up to date at Preston and to add a light to one of the poles and discussed the need to purchase more garbage cans to be used next to the Porta Potties during Preston Court Days.
According to executive secretary, Stephanie Crouch, there were some concerns from the public as to why some of the vendors at Preston Court Days had portable restrooms that were kept locked.
Crouch stated that some of the vendors opted to rent their own Porta Potty for private use and the public was not aware of that fact.
Commissioner Petitt asked if there was some way to let the public know which bathroom facilities were paid for by the county for public use, such as some kind of signage on the doors.
To help resolve any conflict over which Porta-Potties were for public use was an issue the court decided needed to be looked into before making any kind of a decision.
The idea to charge out-of-county and state vendors only a small business license fee to set up during Preston Court Days was also discussed but no action was taken.
The second reading to adopt an Ordinance pertaining to Domestic Septic Disposal Sites was approved during this months meeting as was the second reading of an Ordinance for the Establishment of a Transient Room Tax.
A decision was made to allow Kentucky Climate to replace only the gas furnace at the old courthouse offices.
Judge Executive Rogers explained that during this months meeting county commissioners needed to decide if the County office would go into the new Justice Center that could be built within the next five to seven years or to keep the Fiscal Courts office in the current building.
Commissioner Craig made the motion for the county to keep their office in the Courthouse Annex, seconded by Commissioner Cline; motion carried with a 4/0 vote.
County Attorney Kim Hunt Price explained that a committee appointed by the Administrative Office of the Courts would decide where the Justice Center would be located.
In other business Colby Thatcher addressed members to ask the Fiscal Court with some assistance for a six-mile section of road to be named in honor of her late father in-law, Jerry Thatcher.
In order for the Fiscal Court to make a resolution the court would first need to advertise a public notice and a motion was needed for a vote to have a public hearing with regard to the proposed resolution. The motion passed with a 4/0 vote.
Sheriff Tuffy Snedegar also addressed the court to seek the ability to hire a deputy sheriff since one of his deputies had taken another job.
Rogers said the court did not get the funds from a grant they were expecting that would enable them to hire additional help for the Sheriffs office and would address the issue at next months meeting.
