(Shoshoni, WY) The Town of Shoshoni is a few steps closer to having its own ambulance service.
MS-110 was gifted to Shoshoni by Cody Regional Health with 68,000 on the odometer, a fully usable cot, radio equipment, and a suction station.
“The next phase of this is the final certification,” said Shoshoni Chief of Police Chris Konija at Tuesday’s Shoshoni Town Council. “This rig has already been certified by the state, so that clears that second hurdle. We do have a Medical Director and two EMTs, so I hope to have some classes scheduled.”
According to Konija, Cody Regional is willing to help with training and resources in getting those interested certified as Basic EMTs. He hopes to find some volunteers to go through the training process, get a feasibility budget for the project, and final steps to the Council table in the next two weeks.
State of Wyoming billing and coding processes are also elements that are in the works. “There are actually other cities our size that use our process that will be able to help get that set up,” Konija said. “The idea of this is not to steal anything from the County or Frontier; it’s to give our community access to an ambulance within a reasonable amount of time.”
“Chris has worked real hard in making this a reality,” said Shoshoni Mayor Joel Highsmith. “I think this is an important thing for our community. It might save somebody’s life.”
Questions were raised about 911 dispatch and responding agencies. “The quick and easy answer would be that Fremont County Dispatch would be aware of it and we would respond, just knowing about it,” Konija said. “That’s a work in progress…for example, if a call comes out, whatever agency, I’m here; I take the call. Same thing with EMS. Dispatch works with the Sheriff’s office, so they dispatch to us.”
Dispatch for flights was also questioned as far as who calls for them. “Usually the medic does,” Konija said. “In the past, when I came into law enforcement, law enforcement made the call, not EMS, simply because EMS was so far away. Now that we actually have life flight in Wyoming, it’s changed a little bit now, so a lot of times the responding agency or responding EMS would request one…it depends on the scenario.”
For more on the Shoshoni Town Council’s conversation on their new EMS, click here for the YouTube video.