HomeMy WebLinkAboutBrazos Valley EMS moves to Temple 1977 1 4
B razos
will move to Temple
By KATHY FAHY
Staff Writer THE EAGLE/Bryan- College Station, Texas
Coordination of the Brazos Valley _., ' 1 (
Emergency Medical Services (9 -9
(E) 1 will move Temple June 30 Brazos
as the current Health h Education and
Welfare (HEW) grant ends. In Page
Temple the service will be coor-
dinated by the Texas Department of
Health Resources. News of Bryan-College Station
The seven - county Brazos Valley
service was given in low priority
classification, for federal funds, said
Ellen Nelson EMS director. "There and the Brazos Valley
are not enough calls to justify the
system," she explained.
EMS is divided into two phases, ! Monday, June 20, 1977 Page 1B
life support and advanced life ` J
support. The Brazos Valley EMS has
completed two years of the life
support phase. However, the service calls a day and only one a heart technicians and attendants.
is not ready to go to the second attack," she explained. However, the impact of this will not
stage, advanced life support which Within five years, with more be felt immediately.
has the highest priority Nelson said. money available and an increase in The Temple office will not have
The second phase calls for population, the area may be able to any funds designated specifically for
paramedics, physicians available 24 support such a service, Nelson said. the Brazos Valley area, Nelson said.
hours and EKG machines feeding Nelson could not predict any Under HEW funding EMS
directly to hospitals, Nelson ex- impact on services with the end of received a $284,000 federal grant
plained. This is just not feasible for local coordination. Services will matched by local funds for the two
us," she said. The second phase is continue and EMS vehicles will stay years it operated in the Brazos
expensive to institute and requires here she said. Brazos Valley Valley.
frequent use to justify its creation. Development Council will retain the
"Paramedics don't work for titles and the county or city will still HEW does have other guidelines
peanuts," she added. use them, she explained. for distributing funds for EMS
Not only are paramedics ex- nelson said. These rules have not
pensive, but with infrequent prat- Nelson did say that less frequent been completed yet, she said.EMS
tice their training would be wasted, training opportunities will be may reapply for funds when the new
Nelson said "We may have only five available for emergency medical rules are established, Nelson said 1
w