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Colo. county approves funding for more ambulances, paramedics

Logan County commissioners approve hiring additional advanced life-support providers to strengthen ambulance coverage

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A Sterling Fire Department ambulance.

Sterling Fire Department/Facebook

By Callie Jones
Journal-Advocate

LOGAN COUNTY, Colo. — Logan County’s ambulance service is getting some much-needed additional staff.

During a work session on Tuesday, Commissioner Mike Brownell informed Sterling Fire Chief Lavon Ritter that after discussions with Debbie Unrein, director of finance, and his fellow commissioners, they are confident that the county has enough money in its budget to pay for two additional advanced life support providers.

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“Thank you very much, it’s going to be extremely helpful,” Ritter said.

Currently, there are nine paramedics; the county pays for six and the City of Sterling pays for three. At a previous work session, there was some discussion about adding three additional staff members, with the county paying for two and the city paying for one.

With three or four ambulances out at one time sometimes, there is a definite need to add more staffing. Before that extra help arrives, though, there will be assistance from another agency, as during a business meeting following the work session, the commissioners voted 2-0 ( Jim Yahn was absent from the meeting) to authorize Washington County Ambulance Service to provide ground ambulance service as necessary in connection with a motocross event to be held in Logan County on Aug. 30 and 31.

Ritter explained that it takes at least four people to man that type of event and five or six is better and it takes the ambulance completely out of service, so they asked Washington County to assist to ensure Logan County has full coverage for emergencies.

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