Officials from the Silver Lake Rescue Squad gave a presentation on the operations of the unit to the Silver Lake Village Board Wednesday during a regular monthly meeting.
Bob Johnson, chief of the rescue squad, said he asked to make the presentation because he felt many community members, and perhaps some board members, were not fully informed about how the squad works and what it can do.
The Silver Lake Rescue Squad was incorporated in 1974. It is a separate corporate entity and contracts with the village to provide emergency medical services. It also contracts with Wheatland and Brighton to provide services to parts of those towns.
The rescue squad is certified by the state at the IV Tech level of care. That means that squad members can handle 98 percent of medical problems, said Dan Gerber, a member of the squad Board of Directors. For cases that need a higher level of care, the squad has service agreements with Salem Fire/Rescue and Medix Ambulance.
“We are very proud of what we do,” said Johnson.
In 2010, the rescue squad had 135 calls in the village. Only six required services beyond what the squad can deliver on its own.
The village pays $27,000 for its contract with the rescue squad. The squad also bills the insurance company of its patients for payment. If someone is uninsured and is having trouble paying their bill, Johnson encouraged them to contact the squad to make suitable arrangements.
The most common question squad members get while on calls is about the cost, Gerber said.
“We don’t want to worry about that at that time,” Gerber said. “We’ll make it happen.”
“We’re always going to provide service,” Johnson said.
Village residents are billed at a lower rate than others the squad serves.
While most people think of the rescue squad in emergencies, the station is staffed during the day on weekdays and members are happy to do blood pressure checks or other simple procedures for members of the public, Dean Fryda, rescue squad Board of Directors member said.
A particularly busy time of year is coming up for the rescue squad. That’s because a large number of calls for the squad come from the Wilmot Mountain ski hill, Fryda said.
