Gilmer County commissioners approved Gilmer County Fire and Rescue contracting with a new medical director.
The change was discussed during work and regular sessions Sept. 7 and 8.
“What we are wanting to do is just broaden the scope of the practice to let them practice within what the state allows them to practice for pre-hospital medicine in the field,” said Gilmer County Fire Chief Daniel Kauffman. “We are geographically challenged. We have longer response times. We may be with a patient 30 minutes.”
It will cost the county $500 a month for the new director. Kauffman said it equates to roughly $1 per call.
Previously the county paid nothing.
Kauffman thanked the current medical director Dr Eric Williams.
“It was my understanding he kind of took over on short notice a little over three and a half years ago. The EMS chief and the medical director both had a quick exodus from the department,” Kauffman said.
EMS Division Chief Andrew Burnette said the main reason for the change was to allow for the department to add medications to the trucks which paramedics are allowed to use.
“The new medical director that we are looking to use specializes in disaster management, pre-hospital and EMS care,” Kauffman said. “He is willing to work with us to broaden our scope of practice.”
Once protocols are written, they are standing orders for the level of care which can be provided by the paramedics, Burnette said.
Commissioners approved the new director for a one-year term unanimously.
Logging bonds
Gilmer County Public Works Director Ryan Steingruber asked commissioners to consider making changes to the way the county handles bonds for timber operations.
His request came in response to an issue on Oak Hill Road.
“We spent $36,000 in emulsion alone on repairing that road after the timber operations went through there,” he said. “And there was no oversight or involvement of the road department until after that damage was done.”
He said the maximum bond is $5,000, and it was released before the road department became involved.
“We’re not doing the county any good as stewards of our property or their money if this is how we’re treating our resources,” he said. “If we are not going to hold the companies responsible for the damage they do to our property, to me, it is just disrespectful.”
Cleaning the mud off one road costs $18,000, he said.
“There is no incentive for the logging companies to do the right thing if we are going to give them a $5,000 bond,” Steingruber said.
County Attorney David Clark told the board he did not believe it could raise the bond because of state law.
“The logging industry has a strong, very, very strong, lobbyist organization, and a lot of what is built into the ordinance is statutory,” he said.
Gilmer County wanted to have a higher bond, but was not able to by law, he said. There may have been changes to the law in the last year or so which may allow some changes
“So, what I am hearing you say, David, is we have to suck it up and deal with it,” Steingruber said.
Clark said there are other remedies available if the damage is caught earlier, during operations.
Steingruber suggested his department be told about operations when they are bonded and take video of the road before and after logging.
“Those are the solutions that may be more workable at this time,” Clark said.
The two agreed to sit down and look at the ordinance to see what could be done in the future.
“I just want to get it on everybody’s radar that something needs to change,” Steingruber said.
Lodging tax collection
Post Commissioner Hubert Parker asked the board to consent to advertising a reminder to lodging renters in Gilmer County to collect the lodging tax.
It would outline the responsibilities and penalties associated with the lodging tax.
“Let’s just make it a friendly notice,” said Clark.”The second one may have to have some consequences. The first one, let’s just do as a friendly notice.”