Hutchinson News – December 16, 2013
Effective April 1, 2014, the volunteer Buhler EMS operation will become a first responder unit. Patients requiring transportation by ambulance will be served by Reno County EMS.
The county-subsidized ambulance service is affiliated with Hutchinson Regional Medical Center. The hospital announced its ambulance service expansion in a news release Friday.
Buhler EMS operates as part of the Reno-Harvey County Joint Fire District No. 2 and serves the city of Buhler as well as a rural population north and east of Hutchinson, the release said.
In November, Buhler EMS announced the decision to discontinue the area’s transporting ambulance service in early 2014. It asked Reno County EMS to assist in transporting area residents seeking emergency medical care at a hospital, the release said.
“These changes are taking place due to a lack of trained volunteers,” Kari Banning, director of Buhler EMS, said in the release.
Buhler EMS provides a 24/7 response with as few as six volunteers, all of whom have full-time jobs, Banning said.
Starting in January and continuing in February and March, both Buhler EMS and Reno County EMS will be dispatched in response to calls for emergency assistance in the Buhler area. If sufficient personnel is not available within Buhler EMS on any given day, the Reno County unit will be asked to provide emergency medical services.
Beginning in April, Reno County EMS will take over transportation to hospitals.
“The request from Buhler EMS for additional assistance may stretch our resources to provide emergency medical services for Reno County communities, large and small, and our staff is committed to work 24/7 to do our very best,” said Randy Miller, director of Reno County EMS, in the release.
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