By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Regional EMS directors are looking to see who else in the communities may be able to help if there is illness among their ranks.
"The south central Region III EMS Council met over a web conference and worked on coordinating plans together for additional mutual aid responses into areas that might run into staffing issues," said Reno County EMS Director Dave Johnston. "Out of that, I think, will be some surveys pushed out into the community looking for previously certified EMS providers, establishing a list of people that could assist if we end up with this impacting our workforce."
The survey should be out this week asking for those who can help.
"The Kansas Board of EMS, they may give some leeway to extending certifications back for at least two years if they've expired," Johnston said. "That will take some action on their part to enact that. We will be encompassing providers that have had their expiration dates as far back as 2017, just to see what availability they might have."
Right now, that's just a contingency plan. Their hasn't been any change in local response to this point.