Don’t look for Groveland Township EMS responding into Genesee County anytime soon.
The reason’as of Dec. 31, 2014 the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS) requirement in Genesee County expired for Groveland Township EMS, banning any medical responses into Atlas Township. Due to low call volume, Goodrich and Atlas Township are not covered by an EMS, rather, depend on nearby private ambulance services from Grand Blanc, Davison and, until this month ,Groveland Township in case of emergency. As a result, response times in emergency situations have been a concern for township officials.
Bruce Trevithick is the executive director of the Genesee County Medical Control Authority (CCMCA). The GCMCA is the oversight for the EMS system in Genesee County and is administered by Genesys Regional Medical Center, Hurley Medical Center, McLaren Regional Medical Center and the Genesee County Board of Commissioners.
‘CAAS meets the basic standards and we feel more comfortable with that,? he said. ‘Conversely, Oakland County has more municipalites like Brandon and Groveland (townships) that have built in standards. They have a different mechanism for oversight. We understand the CAAS requirement, which is renewed every three years, does cost a fair amount of money’anywhere from $10,000-$15,000.? Trevithick said the CAAS requirement in Genesee County, not required in Oakland County, is due to the large volume of private EMS agencies located in the area and functions as oversight.
Despite appeals from Groveland Township Fire Chief Steve McGee, EMS responses now to Atlas Township will not be possible.
‘This is just ridiculous,? said McGee. ‘We appealed the situation for Atlas Township with the state’s quality assurance task force and were denied. We did not renew the CAAS due to the cost’we are happy to assist our neighbor and we are in a position to save lives. It’s just very frustrating we are right here to assist and just can’t.?
Trevithick understands there are times when Groveland and Brandon Township EMS will be closer. A similar restriction was implemented in 2013 in Brandon Township which at one time filled the void in Atlas Township with four ambulance units including two at station one in downtown Ortonville, only about two miles south of the county line. Moreover, Groveland Township had EMS units on Grange Hall Road, also about two miles from the southern county line in Atlas Township.
According to Genesee County 9-1-1, from August to December 2014 there were 89 total Tier 1 (serious) calls in Atlas Township, with an average response time of 11 minutes and 40 seconds.
‘Atlas Township residents should continue to see an improvement with the Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) systems to determine the closest EMS unit to the request for emergency medical care which went into effect in October 2013 in Genesee County. We also have competition for EMS calls in Genesee County’companies want that business.?
McGee said the Groveland Township units are already equipped with AVL and had responded to about 20 calls in Atlas Township each month.
‘Genesee County can help their residents in Atlas Township by making a simple modification to their requirement,? added McGee. ‘Atlas Township is 36 square miles and a lot of farm land and we understand that an (ambulance) company would require a minimum of three calls per day. In reality, that’s just not going to happen anytime soon? they just don’t have the population. There’s no good reason the residents of Atlas Township should be at risk when we (Groveland) and Brandon are willing to help out.?
Similar to Groveland Township EMS, in the fall of 2013 Brandon Township was also denied responding to Atlas Township despite appeals.
A request by Atlas Township Fire Chief Fred Forys for Emergency Medical Service (EMS) mutual aid using Brandon Fire Department has been denied by the Professional Standards Review Organization (PSRO), the fact-finding board for the Genesee County Medical Control Authority (CCMCA).
Following the decision Brandon Fire Chief David Kwapis called upon Genesee County officials to consider the needs of the public on M-15.
‘Consider in 1987 Brandon EMS responded to 314 calls. Last year we went out on 1,140 calls. Residents are living longer and there’s a lot of traffic on M-15. The need is there. The GCMCA needs to do the right thing. Other fire departments’Groveland, Atlas, Lapeer’come over and support us if the need is there through mutual aid.?
Atlas Township officials have even considered a private EMS stationed in the community.
In December 2012 representatives from Regional Emergency Medical Services (REMS) attended the Atlas Township meeting to discuss locating a facility in the community. REMS is a joint-venture partnership between Flint-based hospital McLaren Health System, and Southfield-based Community EMS, Inc. (CEMS), a non-profit ambulance service. After first opening in January 1996, REMS serves Lansing, Fenton, Flint, Flushing, and Genesee and Mundy townships. The company employs about 300 with 75 vehicles. However, even after township officials offered to provide use of the south bay in the township garage to house the ambulance and develop some kind of base or post in the township, the plan was dumped due to a lack of projected 9-1-1 calls to be profitable.
Atlas Township Supervisor Shirley Kautman-Jones was outraged by the decision from Genesee County.
‘It’s a disservice to the people in Atlas Township,? said Kautman-Jones. ‘They have a neighbor in Brandon and Groveland townships willing to provide service’both communities have the ability to assist and save a life. Genesee County does not see it that way. The medical control boards need to have elected officials that represent the people. I and others will lobby to rid this state of medical control groups. They are putting the people at risk.?