The first meeting of the Manitou Ambulance Board was held Jan. 11 with representatives from the Villages of Marsden and Neilburg and the Rural Municipalities of Hillsdale No. 440 and Manitou Lake No. 442 in attendance.
The ambulance board is working with the Prairie North Regional Health Authority (PNRHA) to keep an ambulance service based out of Neilburg. Members of the board are: Chelsea Gordon - Village of Marsden aschairperson; and Glenn Goodfellow is the vice-chair, representing the RM of Hillsdale. Other members are: Tarelle LaClare, Village of Marsden; Miles O'Grady, RM of Hillsdale; Ian Lamb and Brian McIntyre for the RM of Manitou Lake; Aaron Gibbons and Mike Fouhse for the Village of Neilburg; and Lynda Chibri representing the EMTs. Janet Black, the adminstrator for Neilburg is also a member of the Manitou Ambulance Board.
The Neilburg Ambulance urgently needs more volunteers. It is currently running with just two EMTs and six EMRs. A total of 12 personnel is needed to keep the service running smoothly. Anyone interested in becoming a member of the team should contact Lynda Chibri, Janet Black or one of the other board members.
Current ambulance attendants are: EMTs - Lynda Chibri and Byron Lowen; and EMRs - Larry Cooper, Jane Toews, Dick Toews, Amiee Chibri, Lorne Wiebe, and Tayla Stourac.
Volunteers carry a radio while on a shift and are required to respond to the Manitou Health Centre (where the ambulance is located) within 10 to 15 minutes of an emergency. Scheduling is flexible and done on a monthly basis. CPR and first aid training is required as well as taking an EMR or EMT course. The necessary courses are available in March of 2011.
The ambulance board is currently in the process of purchasing a power stretcher at a cost of $13,500 plus tax. Financial contributions to the board will be 0.50 mills on the 2010 confirmed assessment for both RMs and the villages. If anyone wishes to make a donation to assist with this purchase, contributions can be brought to the Neilburg village office. Cheques should be made payable to the Village of Neilburg and a charitable receipt will be issued and the donation forwarded on to the ambulance board.
The board is also responsible for paying stand-by wages, licensing of EMRs and purchasing of any capital medical equipment for inside the ambulance, such as a heart monitor.
