GFD medical runs get Board of Works attention

While the line item on the Greencastle Board of Works’ monthly agenda was fire department promotions, the subject quickly evolved into a discussion of medical runs by the Greencastle Fire Department.

With the recent retirement of GFD Capt. Kyle App, the Board of Works approved the GFD Board of Officers’ selection of Jason Simonson as the newest captain.

Simonson joined the GFD ranks in early 2014 after previously serving as a volunteer firefighter.

“He’s done a great job with the department,” Fire Chief John Burgess said.

Chosen to succeed Simonson as lieutenant was Brandon Watson, a GFD firefighter since the end of 2015 and also previously a department volunteer.

“He’s done an excellent job for us,” Chief Burgess praised.

Finally, probationary firefighter Grant Bryan was elevated to fulltime firefighter status as of June 19.

Bryan has passed his EMT course and all other basic training, Burgess said, noting that all GFD fulltime personnel now have EMT training.

And that should be valuable since more than half of the department’s runs in recent years are medical runs. For 2021, EMS runs accounted for 677 of the year’s total of 1,124 fire runs.

That trend has continued into this year with Board of Works member Trudy Selvia noting the most recent figures. “Medical runs are a pretty significant total of your runs,” she said, addressing Burgess.

The fire chief called it “a growing trend across the United States” that medical runs are up as fire units are dispatched whenever EMS ambulances are sent out.

“We’re toned out with Putnam County EMS,” Burgess explained.

That generally means responding with the department’s Ford pickup truck which is outfitted for the purpose. That’s when there are four firefighters on duty. When there are just three, they respond with the rescue truck, with turnout gear just in case a second run evolves.

“The odds are against it,” Burgess reasoned, “but it can happen.”

He explained that Putnam County EMS “always has a squad available in the county, it just depends on where it’s coming from.”

The discussion wasn’t new to Mayor Bill Dory. “The subject comes up on almost a monthly basis at City Council,” he said, adding, “we’re not in a position where we could have our own medical team.”

In other business, the Board of Works:

-- Approved a $68,000 proposal from National Water Service, Paoli, for well cleaning. Water Department spokesman Ed Phillips said of the city’s six wells, two are in need of cleaning now. National Water Service has been taking care of Greencastle’s wellfield for 45 years, “as long as I‘ve been here,” Phillips said.

-- Approved a $2,133,595 project to replace the water main along Albin Pond Road and North Arlington Street. The city has received an OCRA grant of $700,000 to fund some of the work. The board agreed to go with ductile iron over PVC pipe, representing a cost difference of only $40,000 on a $2 million project while having a comparative longevity of 100 years for ductile iron to 50-75 for PVC. The work includes replacing hydrant and valves within city limits. The section being replaced has been a constant source of leaks, which Phillips said routinely run $3,000-$5,000 to repair, depending on where the leak is.

Board members Dory, Selvia and Craig Tuggle were joined for the recent June meeting by City Attorney Laurie Hardwick, Phillips and Oscar King Jr. of the Water and Wastewater departments.

The Board of Works will next meet in regular session at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 20 at City Hall.