First Responders reach emergencies in Prince
George's outlying areas
|
Susan Robertson, Staff Writer |
08/25/2005 |
PRINCE GEORGE - The First Responders are shaving minutes off response
time and saving lives.
When the Prince George Emergency Crew is called out for a
life-threatening situation, they throw on the lights and sirens and move
quickly.
But what happens when the crew gets a call in an outlying area of the
county like Carson or Burrowsville?
  Prince
George County Emergency Crew Capt. John Tyrcha, left, First
Responders Mike and Meghan Gegenheimer and EMS provider
Audie Pettaway stand in front of Responder 5, Jefferson Park
Fire Department’s First Responder unit. (Susan
Robertson/Staff Photo) |
A crew is dispatched from headquarters, located off
Prince George Drive, but it takes time to get from Disputanta to the far
reaches of the county. And minutes are precious when you're in the
business of saving lives.
So the emergency crew in conjunction with the county fire departments
created the First Responders.
"They've really been a big help if just for the extra hand," said Capt.
John Tyrcha of the Prince George Emergency Crew.
The First Responders are a team of people from other agencies that staff
the First Responder Stations on their off days.
"June of this year we placed two units in service, one at Jefferson Park
and one at Carson. Then in July we put a unit at Burrowsville," said
Tyrcha.
But the First Responders aren't dispatched for just anything.
The team is only dispatched on certain protocol, which includes
life-threatening injuries, chest pains, unresponsive persons, gunshot
wounds or stabbings to the head, chest and abdomen, and on
non-life-threatening injuries when a Prince George ambulance is
unavailable.
The responder units are retired police cars equipped with basic life
support equipment.
"We'd like to expand it so that those certified to administer advanced
life support could do so, but currently we just have basic," said Tyrcha.
"The ultimate goal is a 24/7, full-service vehicle."
Tyrcha said they hope to upgrade to four-wheel drive vehicles in the
future, but for now they are just happy to have the program up and
running and volunteers to staff the vehicles.
"We do it for pretty much the same reason we volunteer at the fire
department," said Mike Gegenheimer with First Responders out of the
Jefferson Park Fire Department. "We're trying to help the community, and
we enjoy doing it."
First Responders must be at least 18 years of age, be an emergency
medical technician, have completed an emergency vehicle operation
course, and be certified to perform CPR. They must also be members of an
emergency crew or a local fire department.
