The Demorest City Council will discuss several items during their work session Tuesday May 7. One important item is the status of the fire department becoming a Licensed Medical First Responder.
Like many small town fire departments, Demorest Fire Department is a Non-Licensed Medical First Responder Agency.
Firefighters are typically the first responders for medical emergencies. For some emergencies, firefighters are required to be trained to administer specific tests or give an individual oxygen. One such test is testing an individual’s sugar level when having a diabetic episode. That test is considered a “lab” test. Administering glucose or oxygen to an individual is considered administering “medication”. Those services now require an agency to have certified staff, be licensed, and be overseen by a medical director.
For first responders to perform those services, they are required to become certified as emergency medical technician-responders or EMT-R. The certification is one step below becoming an EMT.
However, there is a cost associated with becoming a Licensed Medical First Responder Agency.
The costs associated with becoming a licensed agency can be pricey for the city. The city would be required to hire a full time EMT for every shift. It would have to pay for the training and pay staff to be at training. It would also have to pay firefighters overtime to cover shifts while staff is away at training. The city would have to purchase the equipment needed to perform those additional services. The city would also have to have a doctor as a medical director or enter into an agreement with the county to utilize their medical director.
Other business
The council will review the new cemetery ordinance the city has been working on for the last several months. Last month, the council had their first reading of the new ordinance but added language to clarify a few items. The second reading and approval of the new ordinance is on the agenda for their regular meeting.
During last month’s work session, the council discussed reactivating the Historic Preservation Commission. The commission had become inactive for many years. The council felt that it may be time to reactivate the commission and appoint members. They will continue the discussion during their work session Tuesday.
The Demorest City Council will meet Tuesday, May 7 for the work session at 6:00 p.m. with the regular council meeting beginning at 7:00 p.m. Both meetings will be held at the Demorest Municipal Conference Center at 250 Alabama Street in Demorest.
