u
Wanted: Vc
iiy maemoiiii: mi:(?i\t:kn
1 lure's a ' Help Wauled'' ad for all yon job-hunters:
II Wanted: men and women, 18 yrs. old or over,
I physical!) fit. with an overdose of compassion; to work
five-to-eight-hour shifts, responding to calls for emergency
medical help and transportation; must take 120 hours
training; work week variable; no benefits, except the
satisfaction of saving lives; no vacation, no salary; must
also raise money to sustain the service
If you think there are a lot of takers for that position,
talk to any member of Brunswick County's volunteer
S rescue squads. All say their biggest problem is "manpower."
And in second place is funding.
Considering the demands on their time, energies and
emotions, it might seem amazing that the ten county
squads have the membership they have today. There are
an average of more than 20 KMTs in each squad, plus one
or more dispatchers and sometimes ambulance attendants,
all of whom give many hours weekly to providing
I emergency medical service to the county.
This grass roots volunteer effort is relatively new.
with the Town Creek squad the first one organized in 1!N>8.
Before us. there was just plain ambulance service."
k said Die squad chief. Marie Coleman.
Since that beginning, nine additional squads have
been established, the latest l>eing Navassa, organized a
few months ago. The others are Shallotte. Coastline (serving
the Holdeu Beach-Sunset Harbor area). Calabash,
Waccamaw. I .eland. Southport. Boiling Springs Uike and
I .ong Beach.
I The heart of this work is the GMT (emergency
medical technician), who must take 120 hours of training
in order to give emergency medical aid to those severly
P injured in an automobile accident, or transport victims of
heart attacks or other severe traumas to the hospital. Rccertificaiton
is required every two years.
Another volunteer linked to the F.MTs who race to accident
scenes in their ambulances is the dispatcher.
He/she receives the frantic calls for help and dispatches
the 'on call" KMT to the person needing help.
These volunteers together must, by state law, keep
I vigil by a telephone and he prepared to act 24 hours a day,
[seven days a week. Shifts range from five to eight hours,
with at least two EMTs required on each shift
Funding Problems
While no salaries are involved in rescue squad service.
it's an expensive enterprise. Ambulances range in
price from $25,000-$H0.00fl, and equipment for them costs
another $10,000. There is a three-page list of items required
by the state to be in each ambulance.
I Funding comes from the county.<$10,000 to each
squadi, sometimes from local governments, and mostly
from fund-raising activities. In most cases the fundraising
is another task for the KMT.
Alex Mourns Sluillotte's rescue squad said lie w ished
some civic organizations would take on partial support
of this work as a project. "Our operating budget of
S35.000-$38,000 is just enough t*> run the show," he said.
"If we have an emergency need for some major overhaul
Iof an ambulance, there's not enough."
His squad gets annually, in addition to county funding.
$2,000 from the ABC store, and $1,000 from the city
of Stinllottc. a total of $13,000. The remaining $25,000 must
come from barbecues, yard sales, anil golf tournaments.
"People respond reasonably well to fund-raisers,"
Meat us said. Not enough see a responsibility to support
rescue work, however. "When they flick on a light switch,
people expect the light to come on if they pay their bill,"
he explained "When they call us, they expect the same
response, but don't expect to pay for it."
He and his wife are both KMTs. a common situation
among county squads, and they are retired. "We got involved
in Pittsburgh, where our son was a paramedic."
he said. "We just helped financially, then, but when we
retired, we thought it would be an excellent way of serv ing."
Slinllotte appears to have the greatest need for
\ DWIGHI FLANAGAN ????
/ \ 754-9933
7 HEALTH V"'m'L"..'TABLE
I INSURANCE I s.ppl, NC 11411 STO
^ shallc
M
nder t
Diunteers Wit!
y f \ 1
' l',
D0K1S FL'LFOKl). df?p*?trher (?r rnasllinc Rr?rj?
Squad, answers Ihc emergency number as the vital
link in getting rescue assistance to those in medical
trouble.
recruits, with only la KMTs now in service. To prospective
volunteers. Mourns would honestly admit the difficulties.
It's not easy being responsible for someone
else's life; not everyone can handle that," he noted. But
his wife put in, "Some people think they can't stand the
sight of blood, but you ignore the "blood and guts' because
you're focused on stabilizing the person."
Mearns had another funding suggestion. If
businesses would make an annual commitment to a
squad, it would solve our problems. KMTs can't ask for
this, by law. because we're a non-profit organization, but
businesses could offer it "
Coastline Volunteer Rescue Squad, with its 28 KMTs,
was organized in 197G, and still lias a need for mo;?? personnel.
"Most of our KMTs are women," said Chief Shirley
llewett, "and most of our people work, so volunteers for
the day shifts are scarce."
With regular contributions from Holden Beach and
the Property Owners Association there, and proceeds
from an annual trash and treasure sale, money is "not a
hig problem." Hc-wetl said. "We have a fantastic
response from the public."
Asked what benefits a volunteer could derive, she explained.
"It's the most satisfying tiling I've ever done, to
see somebody you've actually helped. Nobo.1v could pay
me to do it, but I wouldn't lake anything for it."
New comers, Call Your Squad!
Her concern is that retirees move into the county,
with their various medical problems, and the rescue
squad becomes aware of them only when they call in an
emergency situation.
"1 wish people would contact their closest squad
when thev move here tell lie h/?iv te fin/1 flwm on/1
their medical problem is. Sometimes we have trouble
locating people, they're so emotional when they call."
_____
! TOPS - MIRRORS- STORE FRONTS
RM & SCREEN REPAIRS-PLASTIC
>TTE GLASS & MIRROR, 754-9950
HWY. 17 NORTH, SHALLOTTF
Genuine
f |Suede...
- ''d/iiaCar ?v*-? I i^r i 3 iy \jio33 3i iv.^73
&*f in rich genuine suede leather
ySGfflE&i&W Lo,s ?' 9'onCHJS colors (or
jjsra^ppF your fall wardrobe
Pump, reg. $16.97
Skimmer, reg. $14.97
r?a$11
'**&&>* j mpr || ?1
U&& , sj0^ your
Wjkxg/pP^ choice ^ la
Foshlon clutches $5
\A\
_ 1. f?' .. mJ All sheer knee his 25% off
loxturod pantyhose $2
LAZA, SHALLOTTE
IIIK KKL'NSV
fit? su
h Time Arid C
Charles Fowler, chief of the Waccainaw squad, expressed
more gratitude than concern about the people
and the money involved in his rescue work. "We're a
mighty lucky squad," he said of the six-year-old
organization, "because people out here support us and
are good to us."
He said his squad just paid cash for a new ?10,000 ambulance
arid a $1,000 stretcher for it. We raise this
money from barbecues, fish fries, raffles and the
goodness of people," he explained.
Fowler was also grateful for the 'good working relationship"
among the squads, who serve as backup for
each other and meet each month to diseuss mutual concerns.
He said the county set up a contingency fund for
rescue squads, from which Waccarnaw received $18,000
to help purchase its vehicle.
We all voted to put a Jaws of Life i machines used to
extricate people from smashed cars) in Shaliotte.
because it was a central place. We helped the beach
squads get a ladder truck, and they've helped us get our
ambulance," said Fowler.
Calabash Has Auxiliary
Calabash lias the beginnings of a solution to the funding
problem. Cora Phipps, chief of that squad, said people
in Carolina Shores, Bonaparte's Retreat and
Calabash Acres started an auxiliary early in the summer
for fund-raising purposes.
Like most squads. Calabash had held its share of
bucket shakes in front of grocery stores and barbecue
dinners. They also run a thrift store that nets about $200
per week.
"We hope some day we won't have to do this,
ourselves." she said, "but you better believe money is a
problem. Most people don't seem to know we have to buy
our own uniforms and medical supplies."
Phipps pointed out the need for personnel includes
more than KMTs. ' There are so many things we need
people to do. like cleaning the squad building and mowing
the grass," she said. "But we're always .;eeding EMTs,
too. because they get burned out. Most of them have
families and iulltime jobs. Except for dispatchers, we
have no retirees."
pss,
^========
Bryan
Jh&co Sp
HIWSl
COME SEE OUR UNIQUE COLLEC
DECORATIVE LIGHTING, LAMPS,
FANS AND ACCESSORIES.
WHETHER IT BE TRADITIONAL S
OR CONTEMPORARY DESIGN YO
ASSURED OF THE ABSOLUTE Fll\
MATERIALS AND CRAFTSMANSF
AS WELL AS WELL-TRAINED UGIrnMri
u TAIM-TO
v-UIMOUL I MINI I D.
(?} THOMAS browse ove
v> foot showr
will accent your homes inour
appliance showroom a
general public welcome.
2 blocks off Hv
Corner of 10th Ave. N.
Myrtle B
mun-rri ohivi-dxm iuu.5im4
\
t
Hi h BKAIUN. Thursday, September IS. 1988?Page 5-A
n
Compassion
* Why do it'.'" she was asked, 'it's so rewarding.
When you're in that emergency room and you breathe a
sigh of relief that someone's pulling through; and when
later someone comes up to you to thank you for whi.t
you've done for them, you know it's all worthwhile," she
replied.
Role of Dispatchers
Another point of view comes from the dispatcher.
Dons Fulford is one of those who fills that role, for
Coastline, and she said, i think the dispatcher is the
most important link. I feel peoples' lives are in my hands
till the ambulance gets there "
Like most dispatchers, she is a retiree, but she had
taken EMT training, hoping to serve in that capacity until
ill health prevented it.
. ..... u..:pu>vimi),i I-J iiiui C (.Ulllllllllg, l/CVUUSC >VC
have to stay by the telephone for eight hours at a time."
she said.
The dispatcher's job doesn't end with sending the
ambulance on its way. They must record all information
on a state form and keep up with the call until the EMTs
have returned. Sometimes they must also calm excited
or incoherent callers.
'One man called and told me his wife was lying 0:1
the floor and he was going to move her." Fulford related.
" I had to plead with him repeatedly not to move her till
the ambulance arrived."
Cecil I.ogan. emergency management coordinator
for the county, said he believed the ten squads under his
jurisdiction are enough to serve the county adequately.
"But all of them need more volunteers," he said.
Logan had nothing but praise for the volunteers.
"Brunswick County is fortunate to have the best
volunteers anybody could ask for." he said. "When the
going gets tough, they keep going."
Governor James Martin has designated Sept. 21-27 as
Emergency Medical Sendees Week. It's a good opportunity
to consider the services rendered by the approximate
300 rescue volunteers in this county. Some may
want to join them. Squad members hope most will want
to lpnH finanrial ciinrv?ft
if GREAT! I
AN MUST BE g
Milliken Shopping P\3^/ B|
censed optician
icensed Optician
Specializing in Repairs
Prescription Eyewear
(Fashion and Budget)
Eg^ifrThanks to your continued g
support, we are now?M
~o
it Supply
JCHTINC
(OWROOM
TinM nc I
FASCO CEILING }
TYLING J j ft
U ARE j r .
iEST a t mml! Tft ^
<|p,
"iTINC tv?\7
R OUR EXCITING 5000 SQUARE
OOM FOR THE SELECTION THAT
rERIOR PERFECTLY. ALSO VISIT
ND ELECTRICAL DIVISION.
vv. 17 Bv-Pass
and Seaboard Street
each, sc
8-1111 Sat 10AM-12PM
A
I