GC council approves new ambulance employee

GRUNDY CENTER – After an almost 50 percent increase in call volumes over the last two years, with numbers expected to continue in that upward trend, the Grundy Center Ambulance Service is looking to expand.
At Monday night’s city council meeting, Ambulance Chief Dwight Gliem approached the council with a request to hire a fourth full-time ambulance employee.
“When I started two years ago, our call volume was 500. I just ran our numbers for the last Fiscal Year, and we took on 714 calls. We’ve really increased call volume, and it’s going to continue to increase,” Gliem said. “In the past, Grundy Center and Eldora have always done simultaneous, or week-to-week, transfers out of Grundy County, but I’ve talked to the board out at the hospital and Grundy Center is now the primary transporter, so we’re going to be increasing our call volumes even more [by picking up some of those calls Eldora previously took].”
Gliem said that last year, Eldora took 262 calls from Grundy County, and he expects that now, at least 200 of those calls will be taken on by Grundy Center. He added that with the Western Home Senior Living development going up just outside of town, he expects even more calls for transport now that those residents wont be located right at the hospital.
“That’s why I’m approaching you guys about hiring a fourth full time employee, either an EMT or paramedic, to make sure we have coverage in our city no matter what,” he said.
For the full story, see this week's Grundy Register.