GCFD enforces mask policy

POMEROY–Due to recent COVID-19 activity, the Garfield County Fire District (GCFD) has reiterated its policy on wearing masks to all employees and volunteers. At the monthly meeting of the GCFD on Tuesday, September 8, 2020, a statement by GCFD Chief Medical Office Dr. Glen Houser, was discussed, where he warned individuals in a department setting who do not wear mask will be written up. GCFD Commissioner Aaron Stallcop suggested the GCFD needs to have an official policy available on the issue.

Commissioner Terry John stated to his knowledge, the policy is, whenever GCFD personnel are together in a vehicle, masks should be worn.

Kyle Pearson added he had given permission to firefighters to fight fires without a mask, but did require masks to be worn in the vehicles. “We just have to play it safe for a while,” he stated, and asked the volunteers to be careful and be safe. According to Pearson, the GCFD has had no backlash from it so far.

A request from Whitman County for help fighting fires in that area was answered by the GCFD. Although Pearson said he was not excited about sending people there because of the local weather conditions, he knew they really needed help. Three firefighters were sent to help, but returned when other extra help showed up. Another incident occurred with a fire on Tuesday, September 8, at the McGregor plant at Central Ferry. Because Whitman County was already very busy with several fires, the GCFD responded. However, the fire was already out by the time they arrived.

The GCFD Commissioners questioned if there was a need to provide an ambulance and crew for the livestock show and sale at the fairgrounds. It was decided due to the limited number of people participating, there was probably no need to do so. Stallcop added they certainly didn’t need to add extra people attending the event.

John reported, as a follow-up to a discussion from the previous meeting, he talked to Asotin County personnel about a rendezvous point for ambulances to make the transfer of non-emergency patients travelling from Pomeroy to the LC Valley. The process would require transferring the patient from a GCFD ambulance to an Asotin County ambulance to complete the trip.

An agreed-upon location for transfers will be the Alpowa Summit, but only at the paramedics’ discretion will a transfer occur. Pearson added due to GCFD personnel shortage he asked Annette Davis at the Garfield County Hospital if they would keep the non-emergency transfers to a minimum for the next couple of weeks. She indicated when the hospital requests an ambulance from Lewiston, they are often told that none is available. Deedee Weymouth stated that when an ambulance is requested from Lewiston, they are actually dispatched from Asotin County. However, if they are already out on a call, they have to call another paramedic in, and it may take 20 to 25 minutes to dispatch, if they can find someone to come in. Stallcop clarified that this scenario is only for non-emergency transfers. Pearson said he told Davis they should not hesitate to call the GCFD for emergencies, because they will always handle those.

The next meeting of the GCFD will be October 13, 2020, at 6 p.m., at the Fire District Office.