BOONVILLE — The local Boonville firemen/women respond to any fire calls, alarms or accidents, and provide safety coverage for large events such as the Boonville-Oneida County Fair and Woodsmen’s Field Days. The dedicated volunteer firemen/women show up in parades, maintain equipment, meet for work night every Thursday evening, and hold educational events for children. They also aid other local departments as needed. They do all this for free, donating their time.
The paramedics that stay on duty 24/7 for ambulance calls hold the only paid position; the drivers and EMTs are all volunteers. They respond to all 911 emergency calls.
At the fire company’s annual dinner, Chief David Pritchard Jr. stated, “The number of ambulance calls has tripled in the last year. These calls last anywhere between one to three hours, so it’s not just a few minutes of a volunteer’s time to answer a call.”
Multiple calls per day can mean volunteering for hours at a time, day or night. The ambulance recently had 12 calls in just one day. So many in fact, that several calls had to be rolled to other ambulance services outside of Boonville. Even with two ambulance teams, Boonville couldn’t answer each call.
When to call 911
There are ways the public can help these very dedicated volunteers. Prevent false fire calls by keeping batteries fresh in smoke detectors. Let the alarm company know about a false trip, so the entire fire department doesn’t respond.
The paramedics/EMTs and drivers are there for anyone who truly needs ambulance service – accidents, strokes, cardiac arrest, seriously ill people, major medical emergencies or seniors who have no way of driving to the hospital or need lift assists. Many elderly or ill people just need a hand getting up off the floor or out of a tub.
The problem arises when these calls are for something else – a sprained ankle, headache or nosebleed. Those 911 calls really do happen. Taking an ambulance out of service for a non-life threatening or minor illness may mean that someone experiencing a heart attack or traumatic injury must wait longer for help to arrive. Those extra minutes can feel like a lifetime.
Ambulances should not be used just as a means of getting to the hospital. Boonville never has a fee for a driver and paramedic to show up to your house; however, hospital transport is different. Patients are billed for the transport to local hospitals. This fee helps pay for the vehicles, the paramedic, fuel, equipment, and supplies used during a call.
Arriving at the hospital in an ambulance does not ensure a patient will be treated faster. Once the patient is removed off the stretcher and put in a wheelchair or bed, they will wait for their turn unless it’s a true emergency. The hospital ER is meant for life-threatening issues or traumatic injuries, not for general illness. This has become an increasingly difficult problem for crowded ERs. Often local hospitals call for diversion – meaning the ambulance must go somewhere else, even with an emergency patient.
Use Urgent Care – Call your family physician first. If family or a friend with a vehicle are available to assist you, visit an urgent care center for non-critical services. Patients are seen faster at an urgent care center than at a hospital ER. If necessary, urgent care will call an ambulance.
Do call 911 for any serious medical issue or any fire.
Boonville’s volunteer firefighters, EMTs and paramedics will always be there when needed, regardless of the time of day or night.
If you have the time and the interest, and want to give back to your community, ask how to join the fire company. Take an EMT class. Make a donation. Support firehouse functions like the chicken barbecues.
For more information, contact Fire Chief David Pritchard Jr. at 315-942-4371 or email boonvillefire@frontiernet.net.
Boonville resident Sally Smith is a licensed veterinary technician and owns a pet transportation company. Her husband is a volunteer member of the Boonville Fire Co. and she plans to take the EMT course this fall.