Beaver Island Michigan

Beaver Island Friends.
I have been watching the Beaver Island EMS paramedic issue via the forum on this web page for some time and thought I would chime in as someone who provided 24/7/365 service as a sheriffâ??s deputy and as a volunteer first responder/paramedic on the island. The most recent posts seem to elude to getting one paramedic to provide services 24/7/365. I cannot believe that was the intent of those charged with getting suitable candidates. Joe was certainly the exception to this, and I do not know how he did it for all this time even with occasional relief from Bob H. The 24/7/365 could be looked at by many potential hires as being held by a chain in town, no matter how picturesque and laid-back the setting, or how eager they are to get a full-time jobâ?¦always required to be near the EMS vehicles. Even a day trip to the south end could put a medic way out of position to be useful. EMS rules require an ALS ambulance to have a paramedic and an EMT on-board for transport of any patient no matter how serious the matter. We were allowed to â??downgradeâ?￾ our island EMS service on a case by case basis to BLS (Basic Life Support, allowing EMTâ??s and MFRâ??s to provide patient care) with the Bennett Bill exception, and I do not know if that exception is still available. AS far as pay is concerned, during my 11 year tenure on the island, I was compensated the same as a â??mainlandâ?￾ deputy was for 40 hours a week, while I provided 24/7/365 service largely on my own. The Beaver Island community provided my family and I with a nice home/office free of charge which we remain grateful for, BUT the 24/7/365 cannot be sustained by one person. Down time is an absolute necessity. At the very least, the island medic job should be shared by two paramedics, perhaps one on call 24/7 for a week, then a week off while the other provided the 24/7 on-call services. From there, the $146,000.00 looks more realistic when considering wages, workmanâ??s comp expenses, continuing education requirements (that will need to be done off-island if Joe does not maintain his Instructor/Coordinator credentials in retirement), and the like. While I was on the island, all the medics had other jobs that provided their main compensation. Unfortunately that no longer is the case. Is it possible for the Rural Health Center to employ these medics in a medical assistant capacity (for lack of a better title) during the down time to help defray some of the expense? Please do not misunderstand that I do not think the EMTâ??s and the MFRâ??s do a great job and are being overlooked here. All levels are part of the team. A saying in EMS is that paramedics save livesâ?¦EMTâ??s and MFRâ??s save paramedics. Paramedics are needed to provide cardiac rhythm interpretations, administer potentially life-saving medications, and place advanced airways, just to name a few. Things EMTâ??s and MFRâ??s cannot do. The thing our friends who came to visit us on the island enjoyed the most was the â??step back in timeâ?￾â?¦friendly waves from passing cars, community events like Music on the Porch, Homecoming Dinner, and fly-ins. One â??step back in timeâ?￾ Beaver Island does not need is a step back from Advanced Life Support. Please, do all you can to keep it.
Mike Russell

Congratulations, Sarah.

Mike & Bev Russell

Congratulations, Ken!! Bev and I knew you could do it. Now go at it, lifesaver.