By Chris Vetter
The Leader-Telegram
CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. — After not being able to offer services for five weeks, the Eagle Point EMS Department is back up and running.
The agency has been recertified and began providing service on Monday.
“I’m excited we’re operational again,” said Dr. Ethan Young, the department’s EMS medical director for the past three years, adding that it was important to the community to have the local department available. “There are many emergencies where seconds and minutes matter.”
The department’s EMS service was suddenly suspended Feb. 16. The process of regaining certification required everyone to pull together.
“We had to go through and re-demonstrate proficiency,” Young explained at a press conference Thursday morning at the Eagle Point Fire Station. “We needed to have a training schedule that everyone adhered to.”
Rocky Berg, the Eagle Point Fire and EMR chief, said the department has 21 volunteers. They typically get just a couple EMS calls a week, with an average of about 150-160 calls per year.
“With the help of Dr. Young and the town board, we got back on as quick as possible,” Berg said. “We worked really hard, really fast.”
Eagle Point was never without coverage, thanks to some help from neighboring communities. In the five weeks the emergency response team was down, Berg lined up assistance from Anson, Tilden and Cornell to fill in.
“We made sure our EMS was covered,” Berg said.
Marcy Trubshaw, captain and EMS service director, said it was a big deal for them to get their certification back.
“We as a department, it was a little surprising, and a bit demoralizing,” Trubshaw said. “It was a quick turnaround.”
Berg said the suspension only pertained to emergency response, and didn’t impact the town’s fire protection services.
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