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Officials say dispute beginning to impact EMS calls
A Mercy EMS official said until now, he has avoided involvement with the dispute between Fire District 2 Garland and Scott and Drywood Townships. But after fire fighters from those entities did not respond to a recent EMS call, Kenny Wunderly, RN and EMS supervisor, said that stance has changed.
Because Bourbon County contracts EMS services through Mercy Hospital Fort Scott, Wunderly attended Tuesday's county commission meeting to explain how the dispute is now affecting EMS calls.
"We have had a couple of calls out there recently where we have asked for personnel and no one responded," Wunderly said. "I don't know what all is going on with the Garland Fire Department, but I do know they have some issues down there.
"My dog in this fight is, when my EMS crews go down there and they ask for first responders, we only have two people on the truck. If we need extra hands, if we need someone to drive, or need a landing zone set up (for medical helicopters), no one is responding because of the issues they have with the District 2 responders."
Wunderly said he is unsure of the status of the Garland Fire Department, but he is hearing rumors.
The Tribune attempted to clarify statements made regarding the status of the fire department, but multiple calls to Connie May with the Garland Fire Department and Drywood Township were not returned. Charles Gentry, Fort Scott attorney for the Garland Fire District Board, was out of town.
Wunderly said when a call is made for the Garland Fire Department, dispatch will send out a tone. If there is no response within five minutes, the department will be "toned out" a second time.
Wunderly said Central Dispatch sends either District 3 first responders or Scott Township first responders if no one from Garland hasn't begun to respond.
During the past two weeks, there was one call on Grand Road when Garland did not respond to the two tones and District 3 was dispatched. Scott Township was not called "because of the lawsuit that is pending," Wunderly said.
On May 20, Garland Fire District No. 2 filed a restraining order and injunction in the District Court of Bourbon County against Drywood and Scott townships. Attorneys for both parties appeared before Sixth Judicial Judge Mark Ward on May 2. Bob Farmer of Fort Scott, who represents the Drywood and Scott townships, was granted more time to review details about the case. Ward scheduled a case management meeting with the attorneys on June 20.
The restraining order and injunction prevents members of the Drywood and Scott township boards from replacing members of the Garland Fire District Board, obtaining the board's paperwork, taking control of assets and operations, obtaining keys to the fire department and also from replacing the fire chief with a temporary chief.