By Sandra Mangelson
Times-News Correspondent
It is late at night and you're awakened with all the
classic symptoms of a heart attack. You feel pressure in
your chest and a pain in your neck and shoulder. You are
sweating and feel nauseous. If you live in Levan, you are
doubly concerned because you live ten miles from the nearest
hospital. Two years ago you would have dialed 911 and waited
for the ambulance to drive to Levan to transport you to the
hospital or you would have jumped in your car and tried to
drive yourself. In either case you have lost 15 to 20
minutes or more of critical time to get care. Now you dial
911 and receive initial emergency care in five minutes in
your home.
Under the leadership of then Levan Fire Chief Mike
Mann, seven residents of Levan have completed the
requirements to become First Responders. They are Bruce
Rowley, Chad Phillips, Don Ipson, Sherrie Partridge, Shawna
Rowley, Pam Bishop and Mike Mann. David Powell also serves
as a First Responder. Powell is employed by the Orem Fire
Department and is a paramedic.
In 1998 the Utah State Fire Marshal was encouraging
all fire departments to have an EMT on each call. In the
fall of that year Shane Luna and Mike Mann started EMT
training. They were certified as basic EMT's in December
1998. Levan's Fire Department started answering First
Responder calls in the Levan brush truck in February 1999.
The County Commission agreed to provide a surplus ambulance
from Eureka to the Town of Levan in return for the First
Responder service. The Town would take over the insurance
and maintenance of the ambulance. The ambulance was put into
service in the Levan area in June 1999.
At that time, several people expressed a desire to
become First Responders and classed were started. Ten people
started classes in September 1999 taught by Marge Morgan of
Nephi. They attended two classes per month that lasted 4 to
5 hours each. First Responders are volunteers and are not
reimbursed for their time.
The First Responders asked the Levan Town Board for
basic equipment and a trauma kit with oxygen. Although it is
not legal to transport patients in Levan's ambulance,
Levan's residents can get critical emergency care in a
shorter time.
This all comes at a time when getting citizens
involved in community service is hard to do. Mike Mann is to
be thanked for his example of civic dedication and service.
Mann will be moving from Levan in two weeks and his
leadership will be missed but he has left a great group of
trained First Responders to serve the citizens of Levan.
The Levan Fire Department and the First Responders
meet every Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall.
|
