Health and Safety committee Report july 27, 2024

by Byron Nickerson

Health & Safety Committee Report

Important:  Dial 911 for all emergencies 24/7/365.

Fire/Rescue and Ambulance Service are separate entities in Shohola.

Donations:  Police, fire, and emergency medical service (EMS) agencies are facing sharply increasing costs for vehicles, equipment, supplies, and labor.  They are also dealing with numerous “unfunded mandates” from the state regarding equipment and training requirements.  For example, one pending unfunded mandate is that the state may require EMS units to replace AEDs that have AEDs/monitors that cost five times what current AEDs cost.

Emergency Medical Services

• Donations:  Medicare and insurance company reimbursements do not come close to covering the cost of an ambulance call-out.  “Balance billing” is what ambulance companies need to charge the patient (in addition to insurance reimbursement) to cover their costs.  However, Medicare does not permit “balance billing,” and PA’s Attorney General may soon rule that balance billing is not allowed for private insurance or Medicaid. 

• During their July 26th meeting, the TLPOA members overwhelmingly voted to increase their donation to the Shohola Ambulance Corps from $500 to $1,000.  Personal donations can be sent to Shohola Township Ambulance, 409 Porter Avenue, Scottsdale, PA  15683.  Their non-emergency phone number is (570) 559-7394.

• Shohola’s ambulance is part of a network of ambulances that cover each other’s territories when a township’s ambulance is busy responding to a call.  Shohola’s ambulance is typically positioned in the corporate park at the junction of I84 and Route 6.

• To be certified, ambulances are required to be properly cooled/heated at all times (so that equipment and medications are at the proper temperatures) and be properly outfitted with the correct staff (EMR and EMT – one of which needs to be certified to drive the vehicle), equipment and medicines.

• It looks like Pike County will be getting a hospital and two walk-in emergency facilities.  The hospital and one emergency facility will be located in Blooming Grove Township, and one emergency facility will be located on Route 739 in Dingmans Township.  The land for the hospital has reportedly already been secured.  Each of the facilities will reportedly be associated with NYC’s Northwell Health (Dingmans), and Lehigh Valley or St. Lukes Healthcare Systems (Blooming Grove) are rumored to be involved somehow.  Fund raising for the hospital is actively underway. 

Fire Services

• Always have a hose handy if you are performing open burning, and wet the vegetation around and above the fire burn area.

• Shohola’s Fire Department does not have the equipment, staff, and expertise to fight a major forest fire.  Lives and houses could be lost during such a disaster.  So, if you see unsafe fire-related activities, please call 570-296-7700, and a fire marshal will check to make sure safe burning practices are being exercised.

• Check your driveway to make sure that emergency vehicles can gain access.  A fire pumper truck is typically 11 feet high, and their turning radius is much greater than a car.

• Your family and house guests should know of a safe place to meet (“rally point”) if they have to escape your house during a fire.

• Do not go back into your house until given clearance to do so by the fire chief.

• Be sure to have the right fire extinguishers for the right fire.  For example, water or a Type A fire extinguisher used on a kitchen grease fire would only spread the fire more broadly.  Turn off the burner and cover the pan or use a foam, CO2, or dry chemical extinguisher to extinguish a grease fire (see below).

• Routinely check your fire extinguisher gauges and expiration dates.

• You are invited to attend Shohola Fire Department’s meetings.  They meet every Wednesday from 6:30 to 9:00 pm at the Shohola Fire Department located at 325 Route 434 (except the first Wednesday of the month). Their non-emergency phone number is (570) 559-7525.

• Kayakers and canoers routinely need to be rescued on the Delaware River.  There has been one fatality so far in 2024.  Even if you are an excellent swimmer and experienced boater, be sure to wear a life preserver because you may hit your head when you capsize.

• Kayakers should always wear proper safety equipment and practice rollovers in shallow water before attempting to perform one on the open water.

• For more information, contact Byron Nickerson (nickersonmtc@verizon.net and 484-650-0295) or Bill Lovejoy (gmwlovejoy@yahoo.com or (248) 321-1364).

• If enough people are interested, and for a small donation to Shohola’s Ambulance Corps, we can hold a first aid/AED course.  You and your children should know basic first aid.  Contact Byron to express interest.