Serious shortage of emergency responders impacts the Flathead

Hardworking emergency responders say they are able to quickly get to the scenes of accidents and fires in Flathead County most of the time, but it is getting more difficult to provide adequate coverage because of an increasing shortage of volunteers that is part of a national trend.

“I would classify it as serious and if it does not correct within two years it is going to be critical,” Flathead County Emergency Medical Services Coordinator Dick Sine said. “We’ve seen a number of cases just in the past month where Whitefish was sent all the way to Creston because Three Rivers was out and didn’t have a second [ambulance unit].”

Calls like that create a secondary problem where Whitefish is then left without a backup unit in case emergencies happen there. Sine said the effects of the shortage aren’t so frequent that it impacts service every day, but it is significant.

“If they can’t staff even one day and it is a day you are having a heart attack, it is really a bad day for you,” Sine said.

He pointed out a number of factors that are creating the problem, including ever-increasing training requirements, time commitment and lack of legislative mandate to provide services.

“It’s actually a combination of things that are making for a perfect storm for not having enough services,” Sine said.

One of the biggest issues is that volunteers are required to be highly trained to serve for medical response, according to Sine. Paramedics, for example, have to complete a program that is the equivalent of two years of college and then undergo 96 hours of additional training every two years. Most of the paramedics have to pay for their own classes, though many emergency-medical technician classes are paid for through individual departments.

“We’re finding that the requirements for these jobs is such that you are asking someone to volunteer in a professional job,” Sine said. “We’re asking them to do it for free.”

The training requirements and time commitment often are a lot to ask of folks who would like to help, but also have to find a way to pay for housing and food, Sine said.

“It’s not that people are unwilling,” he added.

The Montana Legislature does not require emergency-medical services be provided, as it does police and fire service, Sine pointed out.

“It’s something that has to change at a legislative level so emergency-medical service is seen as important as fire and law enforcement,” Sine said.

Flathead County Fire Service Area Manager Lincoln Chute said residents of the Flathead Valley always have been very supportive of fundraising for the county’s 22 fire departments and emergency-service providers. Whenever there is a need for equipment or funds, people step up, Chute said.

“I, for one, would like to say thank you to the citizens for that,” he said.

Most of the county’s departments are volunteer-based, with paid staffers at departments in Kalispell, Whitefish, Glacier Park International Airport and Evergreen.

For the volunteer agencies, there is a huge need for personnel.

“We’ve seen over the past five or 10 years just less people volunteering,” Chute said. “We are always short.”

Chute has worked as a volunteer for Badrock Fire Department since 1993 and said at one time there were people clamoring to sign up to help.

“Ten or 15 years ago when I started there were waiting lists,” Chute said. “Now, I don’t know of one department that has one.”

Chute said the problem is not unique to Flathead Valley.

“It’s pretty much a national issue,” Chute said. “It actually started back East and has moved this way.”

The Montana State Fire Chiefs’ Association started an advertising campaign in November, letting people know there is a shortage of fire volunteers throughout the state, where more than 400 of the 435 total fire departments rely on volunteer personnel.

Most of the Flathead Valley departments have around 20 volunteers, though some of the smaller ones operate with eight or nine individuals.

Chute said while paramedics have to undergo a two-year college program, there are a number of tasks people can do for a volunteer fire department that don’t require extensive training, including flagging traffic at accident scenes or pulling fire hose at a structure fire.

“We have a hard time finding board members and most of them meet once a month,” Chute said.

A few extra hands can go a long way, according to Chute. When a department has 20 people opposed to 10, it means everyone can respond to a call when they have free time. When a department only has a handful of people, those volunteers have to respond to more calls and are more prone to burnout, Chute said.

“There are a lot of jobs that anybody can really do and make a difference,” Chute said.

Most departments have some sort of training exercise once per week that lasts two or three hours, he added.

“It is a commitment that is enjoyable and is rewarding,” Chute said. “Every once in a while you will go and you will be helping a neighbor or making a difference and that’s what gets you hooked.”

Wanting to lend a helping hand and a willingness to devote a little time is the biggest prerequisite for joining a department. Most of the equipment and training is provided free of charge, Chute said.

“The biggest limitation we have really is getting someone in the door that has a little extra free time and wants to make a difference and help,” he said.

Chute said potential volunteers can call his office at 758-5563. The county also offers a free EMT introductory course every year that people can learn about by calling Sine at 758-5558.

Reporter Megan Strickland can be reached at 758-4459 or mstrickland@dailyinterlake.com.