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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, August 7, 2003
| Contact: |
Steve Romines, Medic One Director, 360-704-2780 |
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Jim Broman, Chief, Lacey Fire District Three, 360-491-2410
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Lacey Fire
District to Manage Yelm Medic Unit
OLYMPIA –
Medic One Administrators and Lacey Fire District officials have reached
accord for management of the Yelm paramedic unit. Steve Romines, Medic One Administrator, says that the two
agencies, “have negotiated an agreement for Lacey Fire District Three to
manage the southeast Thurston County Medic One paramedic unit stationed in
Yelm, in addition to the unit stationed in Lacey.”
Fire Chief Jim Broman says, “The new agreement will maintain service
to citizens of Yelm and the southeast county area and enhance service in the
Lacey Fire District. Our target
date to assume management is August 16th.”
Both agencies have been working toward an agreement since the first of
this year.
Combining the Lacey and Yelm
paramedic/firefighter personnel under one contract has been a goal of Medic
One’s Emergency Services (EMS) Council.
“We just think it makes sense to pool the paramedic response
experience of the two units,” says Romines.
“It will even out the call volume for each unit, improve coordination
for the area and help contain costs in the long run.”
In 2002 the Lacey unit responded to 2,441 calls and the Yelm unit
responded to 967 calls for paramedic level emergency medical assistance.
Chief Broman says, “We will be able to coordinate with the Yelm area
easily since the Yelm unit usually travels through Lacey to bring patients to
the hospital. We also have a
mutual aide agreement with the Yelm Fire District and work together on a
regular basis.”
An interlocal agreement detailing the negotiated
settlement must be approved by the Thurston County EMS Council, Lacey Fire
District Three Commissioners and the Board of Thurston County Commissioners.
The Yelm Medic Unit has been managed under a temporary contract with
the Rochester Fire District until a permanent contractor could be chosen.
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