Winter storms test limited county resources

After a month of snowfall and storms, Dr. Heath Waddell, EMS Medical Director, and EMS Division Chief Jay Kenealy brought concerns about plowing to the county commissioners last week. Though aware that clearing the roads in the wake of a snow event is a long-standing issue for the county, Waddell asked if there might be a way to reevaluate the snow plan to help medical crews reach patients more quickly and easily.

The county is growing, said Waddell, and picking up more people in areas that can be difficult to get to, particularly in big storms. For example, he mentioned a person who receives home health but could not be reached for four days after a recent snowfall.

This can be a serious issue if a person needs emergency help or ongoing medical attention, such as changing a catheter, he said. Waddell asked if there could be a possibility of reevaluating the plowing plan and wondered if there is a need for more equipment or personnel.

Commissioner Kelly Dennis, however, explained that the county's resources can only stretch so far.

"We have a lot of roads to cover and not enough equipment to do it," he said.

He pointed out that the county has to balance the costs of plowing in the winter with blading and repairs in the summer – there’s only so much money to go around, he said. If all the money is spent on snow removal and none on gravel, “Pretty soon, we’ll have no roads to plow.”

Road & Bridge Foreman Morgan Ellsbury commented that a countywide storm takes approximately three days to clear with the equipment and personnel available. The county has just five road bladers, he said.

Waddell acknowledged that Road & Bridge can only do what they can do with what they have. Kenealy explained his concern that a patient could die waiting an hour for the plow to arrive.

Yes, you will have to wait, said Ellsbury, but the plows are always dispatched as quickly as possible. Commissioner Fred Devish, who has served on EMS and fire for four decades, shared his experience of a call going out when the roads are not passable, saying the teams have been “extremely lucky” in that, to date, they have never failed to get where they were trying to go.

He shared experiences of following state plows all the way to Gillette and meeting plows on the road to get to a house where a woman had gone into labor.

“It has been working, but it’s tough,” he said.

When asked about the legal ramifications for the county of medical personnel not reaching a patient, County Attorney Joe Baron explained that such a situation would never make it to court.

“We are not required to maintain the county roads,” he said.

Ellsbury reassured Waddell and Kenealy that, when it’s critical, they can call the sheriff and Road & Bridge will do everything possible to get someone out there to clear the roads. Waddell expressed his appreciation for the county’s efforts and that the community in Crook County looks out for each other.