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Extracted from Consolidated Report

This investigation was originally published as part of a larger consolidated report containing multiple investigations. View the consolidated PDF for the complete document.

Trinity County Grand Jury • 2002-2003

Pre-Hospital Care

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Findings 12 findings

F1 Page 75
The State of California is continually insisting on more mandated training for fire department volunteers and is not providing any funding for the training. 1
F2 Page 76
Required training and the time to receive it, makes community service almost impossible for some community members.
F3 Page 76
Many communities in Trinity County have very small populations and thus have no young people to recruit for volunteers in the Fire Departments.
F4 Page 76
Departments that have young personnel and the ability to provide them the required training to become certified, are very fortunate. Because of the lack of jobs to support a young family in Trinity County, most young people tend to relocate in bigger cities where they can obtain employment. A lot of younger people are working two jobs and still not making enough to provide the necessities for a family such as health insurance.
F5 Page 77
The communication systems used by the Fire/EMS personnel have been severely limited for years, creating potentially hazardous scenes and slowing response time for the volunteers. 2
F6 Page 77
There is currently no system of support to provide continuing maintenance or financial support for the yearly operational expenses of this essential communications system. (FIRE/EMS Repeater System).
F7 Page 77
Almost all of the vehicles used by the volunteers are at least second-hand. Spare parts are sometimes difficult or impossible to find, thus making necessary repairs expensive.
F8 Page 77
There is a possibility of a local Redding Hospital cutting back on services (Helicopter etc.) or closing. Losing one helicopter would reduce air response from Redding by one half to Trinity County. This would require Trinity County Life Support to make more Redding transports which could cut down on possible ambulance coverage in Trinity County.
F9 Page 78
Trinity County Life Support and many Volunteer Fire Departments may not survive due to the rising costs of Workers’ Compensation Insurance and Liability Insurance.
F10 Page 78
Rural/Urban Interface will continue to present challenges on how to provide fire and rescue services to Trinity County. People will continue to build and live in remote areas. They will demand and expect more services and will want regulations that will control volunteers activity. This will result in more to do with less to do it. This can only be done by an increase in the Tax Base for some of the departments; Ad Valorem Tax is only available to a few departments.
F11 Page 78
Trinity County Life Support might not be able to function as it currently does if Trinity Hospital were to close. The majority of the volunteer fire departments are dependent on Trinity County Life Support to transport patients. They provide very good required medical training.
F12 Page 78
There are only 4 departments having transport ability to Trinity Hospital now. Coverage of the county would be difficult if the Hospital were to close? (Southern Trinity Area Rescue would continue to transport to the coast as they currently are doing). 4

Recommendations 12