Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Rescue Unit A Possibility In Gurdon

By JOHN MILLER

Gurdon may get partial funding for a rescue unit, but it will take a little longer than expected.

Mary Burns, assistant to Gurdon Mayor Rick Smith, presented the city's case to the Clark County Quorum Court's budget committee Tuesday, Aug. 27, seeking financial aid for the purchase of rescue equipment.

The committee said the request would be taken under consideration during the budgeting process for 1997.

Burns said the unit would be an extension of the two currently existing in the county, in Arkadelphia and Caddo Valley, and would provide an important service to the southern portion of Clark County.

It would be operated by members of the Gurdon Fire Department who have expressed the desire, as well as pointed out the need for such a unit.

She said while the two units currently servicing the county are capable, well trained and well equipped, the distance between where they are stationed and the southern part of the county results in valuable minutes lost. The average response time to the southern portion of the county is 30 minutes, she said.

"As you all are probably aware, the time frame called the 'Golden Hour' is the most critical in getting a trauma victim to the emergency room for proper treatment," Burns said. "After that 'Golden Hour' passes, the patient's chances for survival is drastically reduced. The faster the extraction can be made, the faster the emergency team can start the treatment of the injuries and the better the victim's chance of survival. Time is of the essence."

Burns pointed out south Clark County has some severe potential hazards with railroad tracks running through densely populated areas, with the possibility for a derailment disaster ever present.

In fact, there have been a number of derailments in and around Gurdon during the past 18 months, but, fortunately, none too serious.

In addition to the rail problems, she informed the panel, the area is also heavily logged, which results in a large number of log trucks traveling the highways fully loaded. This, she said, also has the potential to be a disastrous situation, which would require the services of a rescue unit.

Burns said if the committee approved the request, Gurdon would agree to maintain the equipment purchased and train the volunteer firemen in the proper use of this equipment.

Several of the GFD firefighters have expressed an interest in taking emergency medical technician (EMT) classes to further help them in their rescue efforts.

Chris Dulin, she said, is a certified paramedic as well as a member of the GFD. He would be heavily involved with a rescue unit, and has already provided valuable information regarding equipment needed and why it's necessary.

Gurdon's City Council, Burns said, has already authorized $10,000 for the purchase of hand held radio/pagers for each firemen in the GFD, as a means of more efficient and reliable dispatch to emergency scenes.

This is in response to the new 911 emergency telephone service scheduled to go on-line in November.

She pointed out Gurdon has also spent a great deal of money on the purchase of new firetrucks as well as in upgrading existing equipment.

"I wanted to point this out," Burns told the panel, "to show Gurdon is dedicated to the success of the fire department as it will be to the success of a rescue unit."

Gurdon currently has a dozen pieces of equipment which could be used with the rescue unit, she said. The unit would also respond to any call received, not only in the southern sector of the county, but anywhere it was needed. It would also be available to assist the county's Office of Emergency Services.

"There is a definite need for an additional unit to be located in the southern part of the county," Burns said, "not only to respond to local calls, but to assist the other rescue units if needed and be available for the OES in the event of large scale disasters.

"The rescue unit," she continued, "will be handled a little bit differently than the fire department, in that it will be dispatched anywhere it's needed.

"In light of this fact, the rescue unit will be covering as much of the southern part of the county as necessary. This is the reason we, Gurdon, are asking the county to help fund this project. Gurdon has limited funds and without the help of the Quorum Court, this very necessary project will not be possible."

Some of the equipment which would be purchased, should the court approve the unit for the 1997 budget year, include a Hurst Maverick combination tool, a Hurst med ram, mini cutter and air bag set.

Burns was the first to speak to the panel, which consisted of Bill Conine, Dot Curry and Bill Morman. Other requests were also heard, with several getting the same response as Gurdon -- it would be considered for the '97 budget.

However, in a phone conversation Thursday, Aug. 29, Clark County Judge Grady Runyan said the request for a rescue unit would either be funded fully, partially or not at all by the court. But, he added, after Burns left and the other requests had been heard, the committee talked favorably about funding a rescue unit for south Clark County.

He said the last he'd heard them say was the recommendation would be for no less than half of the amount requested.

"We certainly feel a rescue unit there is necessary and needed. We realize what response time means," he said. "We have good units here, but they're still 30 minutes away."