MONONGALIA COUNTY, W.Va. — Monongalia EMS plans a series of public forums to share operating data and get feedback from the public.
The Western Monongalia Community Forum is Wednesday, April 9, at Mason Dixon Park at 6 p.m. The Morgantown Community Forum will be Thursday, April 10, at 6 p.m., and the Cheat Lake Community Forum will be Monday, April 14, at 6:30 p.m.
On WAJR’s “Talk of the Town,” Weyen said it’s an opportunity for members of the public to talk with Mon EMS senior leadership and share comments and concerns. Officials will also present operational data and be prepared to answer questions.
“We’ll present some data and have a conversation about their experiences, good or bad, and things we can improve on,” Weyen said.
The western end of the county is the most difficult to cover with about one call every 24 hours. Weyen said the entire operation is trained when that call from the western end comes when additional incidents are underway in other areas of the county.
“As you know, that’s a difficult thing to staff,” Weyen said. “When the rest of the county gets busy, there’s always a movement of resources and trying to do the most good for the most people, and that is something we have to contend with.”
Mon EMS has a fleet of about 27 ambulances and support vehicles that average about 600,000 miles each year, covering the more than 350 square miles that make up Monongalia County.
“Before we even put the most valuable asset—a person—in there, we’re looking at $400,000 to $500,000,” Weyen said. “The average life span for an ambulance is four to five years.”
When paramedics and EMTs respond to an emergency, they do so with state-of-the-art equipment and the capability to communicate directly with the hospital. When seconds can mean the difference between life and death, their training and equipment give those suffering a medical emergency the best chance possible.
“Early access to care is very important, getting the care at the home, business, or wherever you’re at,” Weyen said. “Starting that care before the hospital allows us to start chains of survival where we can notify the hospital you’re coming in and they can have specialists and procedures ready.”
Staffing is always a challenge, and they are looking for people. The hiring process for the next group of potential EMTs begins in May, and Weyen encourages those interested in serving the public to contact their office.
“We provide all the training and education and include pay and benefits,” Weyen said. “After a rigorous training program, within a year you’ll be out serving the citizens of Monongalia County and the Mon and WVU health systems as well.”