Squads consolidate medical oversight; Woodmark donates CPAP machine

By Hannah Wever
Review Staff Writer

Published: May 22, 2008

A local company has made a contribution to the community’s health. According to Orange County Fire and EMS Training Captain, American Woodmark Corporation recently provided funds for an invaluable piece of lifesaving equipment.
“American Woodmark very generously donated money for the volunteer rescue squad to purchase a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine,” Joyce said. The new machine will be used by Orange County Volunteer Rescue Squad members.
Prior to the purchase of the new of lifesaving apparatus for rescue squad volunteers in Orange, CPAP machines were on the Orange career staff’s vehicles, Joyce added.
Fire and EMS officials are looking forward to adding CPAP machines to additional county rescue agencies.
“It will hopefully be extended to Lake of the Woods Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company soon,” Joyce said.
The CPAP machine has already proved itself a worthy addition to rescue agencies’ apparatus.
“We have seen patients improve substantially from its use compared to prior methods of treatment,” Joyce said.

For rescue squad personnel and volunteers, the last word in emergency medical care will originate from a single source.
By the end of May, medical oversight of a number of aspects of the county’s rescue operations will be under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey Alberts.
“Previously, medical direction was divided between different positions.” Orange County Fire and EMS Training Captain Tom Joyce said. “For the first time in a long time, the career service personnel and all volunteer rescue squads of the county have joined under a single operating medical director.”
Without medical direction originating from a singular resource, each of the county’s agencies operated under guidelines which were quite similar, but not identical, Joyce explained.
“Having a single medical director allows collaboration and uniformity of standard operating guidelines for all agencies in Orange County, he added.
The new director will provide the medical oversight for county rescue agencies, including medicines administered to patients, procedures performed by rescue personnel and volunteers, and the training they complete. Additionally, Joyce added, the medical director will oversee compliance with local, state and federal regulations and laws which govern EMS agencies.
By bringing all county rescue agencies together under a solitary medical director, Joyce said, is a step toward the shared goal of increased cooperation and partnership.
“This has been a combined, ongoing effort between all agencies concerned for approximately a year,” he said. “We look forward to similar combined efforts and initiatives for the purpose of obtaining our goal of progress through partnership in the future.”