March 21, 2022 Meeting Location Change
The location of the board meeting scheduled for Monday, March 21st has been changed to the Howard Volunteer Fire Department. The starting time of 6:00 pm remains the same.
Meeting Minutes of December 2021
Arkansas Valley Ambulance District
Minutes of Board Meeting on December 20, 2021
Attending: Nicole Lewis, Andra Dalton, Tom Kainz, David Craft, Dave Van Nattan, Mark Roland’s, Lane Wilda, Jim Lemermeier.
Meeting called to order at 1825 Hours by Nicole.
Minutes were presented and reviewed. David made motion to accept, Tom seconded. Vote to accept 4/0/1.
Financial Report was presented by Tom. Board reviewed. Balance of all accounts is $436,274.
FreCom is on an auto-pay with the bank. Tom noted that fees have gone up yet again. He will follow up on this and find out why.
Andra motioned to accept, Dave seconded, vote take to accept 5/0.
Upcoming events: Grants! A new ambulance was discussed to be included along with radios (12). The timing of this Grant may make it workable at this time. Grant window closes Feb 15.
End of Challenge: in January a raffle prize will be presented to the winner. Prize has not been decided upon yet, maybe gift cards, maybe something else.
CPR class is on Jan 12, 6-10 PM at HVFD. Both valley fire departments have been invited at no cost to them.
Training roster has been modified. Also the Volunteer signup sheet has been modified to include Ride Alongs for new students. Also for new drivers (we have 5). Background checks are going to be required for all drivers and EMTs.
EMT class update: we will be piggy backing on PUC. Classes will be on Tue, Wed and Thursday from 6-10, starting Jan 18 at HVFD. There are some grants available to our students. As of this meeting the cost of this class has not been determined, due to grants and other financial concerns.
Our AEDs are here, along with Jump Bags. EMT will be able to have their own bag. Distribution will be at next training meeting.
Billing issues are still being worked on.
Expansion in Coaldale: planning continues. We are going to have the engineers design a second bay door, interior to include office, rest room and additional room (12×12).
Equipment: A2 needs a lock box for meds, Something with a changeable code in case of personnel changes.
Long range transports: the Board wishes to clarify our position on this issue. AVAD will NOT do long range transports. We are not able to be paid for these with current circumstances. It also puts our District at risk.
We are in need of new tires, some all season tires or snow tires were recommended.
Public comment: Fremont County has a care fund available to the county. It is big dollars available ($9M). We need to check this our.
Note: during this meeting, year end volunteer appreciations we’re issued to our active volunteers. Thank you so much for making AVAD what it is today, the best.
Meeting adjourned at 2053 hours.
Respective fully submitted,
Dave Van Nattan
Live long & prosper,
Dave
Meeting Minutes of March 2021
1
AVAD 21-03
Minutes of March 15th, 2021
Minutes from Board meeting on March 15, 2021
Attendees: Andra Dalton, Tom Kainz, David Craft, Dave Van Nattan, guest Kenny Owens, Mark Rowland. Absent due to sickness Nicole Lewis.
Meeting called to order by Andra at 1813.
Minutes were presented, reviewed, no corrections. Motion was made by Tom, seconded by Andra, voted 4/0 to accept.
Treasurers Report. Tom reviewed report to Board. February’s balance for checking $57,551.38 received from billing $3395.99. Today’s balance is $57,548.17. Expenses were $6,376 for insurance and $2,959.70 for CRS. Total of all accounts is $260,225.
The Application for Omission from Audit was presented, Board members then signed the form. Motion was made to accept report by Andra, seconded by Dave, voted to accept 4/0.
Upcoming events: the Ambulance is being reviewed for relicensing, Sara is handling the supplies and Andra controlling the Drugs.
Training is scheduled for April 13.
COVID vaccinations are still on hold.
Training and retention: ground work is almost complete on AED/CPR training. Notices for date of training will be placed on Facebook, in the Blast and at Post Offices.
Nicole is working on an Easter Surprise for volunteer appreciation.
EMT trading possible in the fall, to be checked by Andra.
Volunteer shifts were discussed. Request have been made to have the shifts only six hours instead of twelve. This would enable volunteers to sign up for half a day, perhaps leading to more coverage on other days. Board was in favor of trying six hours shifts for a few months. A draft needs to be made explaining the new system and notifying volunteers of the new six hour shift (Andra).
In connection to shifts it was recommended we start a phone call tree and have our Admin Assistant work on filling shifts.
A “Travel Volunteer Brochure” was discussed. The jest of it is to entice EMTs from other areas to volunteer for our shifts, being compensated by room and board, meal expense, and an opportunity to enjoy this area on their off time. An EMT can come, stay and play.
No policy or risk management at this time.
Billing and Medicare expenses. Mark questioned us about a local case involving a long time resident being transported to Hospice in Salida. It’s felt that there needs to be a charge for this but just what? It is a bad time for the family and they really don’t need the usual bill of $1200-1300. Discussion followed and the Board decided that a “Hospice Transport Charge” be added to our charges at a cost of $300. This would also apply as a “Non-attended Death Charge” also at $300. Business Ops will be notified of this addition.
Land update: still working on areas in Coaldale. A new location we are looking at is Hamilton Creek Road at CR 45.
Ambulance Director Report: Mark informed us that Active 911 is still not working. Active 911 has been notified of the problem by both Mark and Tom, corrections are to be made soon.
Scheduling is not where it needs to be but hopefully the six hour shifts may help.
Mark notified the Board that he will be leaving in the summer.
Dear Mountain has been notified we are NOT an automatic answering service or responders to their calls.
Ram Rod update (AVA). AVA will dissolve in April. AVA can not give AVAD the remaining balance of their accounts. RamRod is a 501c3 and their fund must be given to another 501c3 group. Discussion followed and the members of the Board feel that those fund should be given to Howard Volunteer Fire Department. In the past HVFD carried AVA through some rough times, that help enabled AVA to survive.
No public comment.
Meeting adjourned at 2011 hours.
Respectfully submitted
Dave Van Nattan
COVID-19
AVAD is committed to the safety and health of our District and our volunteers!
I would like to take this opportunity to talk to you about the steps AVAD is taking to protect the health and safety of you, our neighbors, and our volunteers. We are currently seeing the State of Colorado embark on a “social distancing” campaign. The Board of Directors for AVAD realizes that this is one of the most effective ways that we can try to control the number of people that contract this virus. As such, the Board of Directors meeting for Monday, March 16, 2020 has been canceled. We are in the process of planning for a teleconference for the April 20, 2020 meeting if it is warranted. All instructions on how that will work will be posted on our website. It is also with a heavy heart that we will be canceling our Volunteer Appreciation Dinner scheduled for March 22, 2020. This event will be rescheduled for a later date.
Our ambulance Director is staying up to date on the quickly changing information distributed about the Covid-19 pandemic. We have taken the appropriate steps required to make sure if the ambulance is called to aid a person or persons who are potentially positive for the virus, our volunteers will be safe and protected and our patients well cared for. There will be some differences in the assessment and transport of persons that are suspected of having the virus. Currently, the recommendation is to do a more thorough screening of a patient at the scene to decide what the best care and treatment plan is. AVAD will be working closely with the physicians at the hospital to help make these decisions on a case by case basis. Rest assured, your health and well-being is our top priority. I am including information and a link below. This website has pertinent information on the Covid-19 virus. We understand that it is a stressful time for our little valley. We are confident that we will get through this together. Be kind to one another. Check on your neighbor. Help when and here you can. The world outside of our valley is going a bit crazy, we are better than that. Let’s show the rest of the world how you get through a crisis. We will do it Together, as a strong community!
Nicole Lewis
Board Chair, Arkansas Valley Ambulance District
AVAD is focusing its response to the coronavirus on maximizing safety to the community, our patients and our responders. To save lives, minimize suffering and protect the community, we are stepping up preparations for COVID-19, the disease caused by the current Novel coronavirus. “Flattening the curve” has become a shorthand way to emphasize the role of all of us in the community to slow the spread of COVID-19 so that the number of cases at any given time (the “peak” number of patients) is within the capacities of our healthcare system to treat. Some of the steps we’re taking include:
- Careful and frequent hand hygiene and increasing our normal regimen of disinfecting people, equipment, and vehicles
- Reducing in-person meetings, and emphasizing social distancing as situations dictate
- Using several levels of personal protective equipment (PPE) as needed, and based upon the circumstances
- Minimizing the number of responders and the amount of equipment potentially exposed
- Additional training specifically on COVID-19 and the use of specialized respirators and other protective equipment
- Increasing the use of online medical control (direct, pre-hospital consultation with physicians), and
- New protocols for treatment of patients with respiratory conditions.
It takes everyone to protect our community. One person’s “slip up” on precautions can expose an entire community. We all have a vital part to play and should be maximizing our precautions and taking aggressive action to contain and slow the virus. Protecting those who take care of our community, our responders and emergency service partners, is among our highest priorities. They need to remain ready to serve and protect you. If they get sick, not only is there no one to help you when you need it, it increases the chances of spreading disease through the community. So, we hope that, if we see you professionally, you’ll understand if we keep a little more distance than normal, insist that you take immediate measures to reduce the spread, and wear protective equipment that may seem unusual to you. Also, we want you to understand that most cases of COVID-19 do not require admission to, or treatment at, a hospital. The doctors may want COVID patients to be treated at home and through phone consultation with their primary care provider, instead of coming to the hospital.
More information on what you can do to protect yourself, your family, and your community is available from Fremont County Public Health at: 719-276-7450.
Let’s all pitch in and make our District the last one in Colorado to have coronavirus cases! We accept the challenge and hope you’ll join us!
Meeting Minutes of October 2019
AVAD 19-10
Minutes of October 20, 2019
Arkansas Valley Ambulance District Board Meeting, October 20, 2019
Attendance: Nicole Lewis, Tom Kainz, Andra Dalton, Dave Van Nattan, Dave Craft
Guest(s): Mark Rowland
Meeting called to order at 18:05
- Minutes presented and motion made to accept by Tom, seconded by Andra, voted 5/0.
- Resolutions will be available in OneNote, motion by Tom, seconded by Andra, vote 5/0.
Treasures report presented
- Last months expenses were for Med1 $1848.88, and supplies for $4188.28.
- Full balance is $153,905.48, reserves of $54300.46, fund available $99,599.02.
- CRS will be doing our financial reporting soon on a month to month basis.
- Student Mike Scott has dropped class and will be billed for half of the class as per student agreement.
- Budget review is due Dec 15.
Ambulance Director Report:
- Mark feels budget considerations for volunteer incentives and recruit retentions needs to be included in the budget. We should also reimburse the cost of testing for students ($80-90 each), up to three tries.
- Our state grants are set up where we pay for the expense then get reimbursed 90% which is paid in about three weeks. Next years grant starts Dec 15 and closes Feb 15. Need to watch for what we ask for, if we ask for a financial weaver of 50% and get turned down we must wait another year to reapply. To rechassie an ambulance would cost $100-150K, vs a new ambulance?
- We have two new Colorado certified EMTs, Shara and Michele.
- A2 rear spring has been fixed and is all ready to go and Mark will be moving it to his location.
- Cost to do that will be a reimbursement for electrical supply to the ambulance (approx $65+ per month).
- We have a work session with EMTs and drivers coming up. Volunteers will be given our plans for volunteers.
General Discussion
- “Trunk or Treat”
- Nicole advises us of the “Trunk or Treat” event at HVFD and requested help with that event. Plan is to decorated A2 and give out treats to kid. Banner and gifts will be made available also.
- Policy and procedures
- Still being worked on by Nicole and Andra. They will present the findings to the board soon.
- Status of housing A2 in Coaldale
- Nicole is working with Big Horn for a temp location.
- Trading and retention
- We had one drop out from college, and the college will bill him directly. Nicole will review our contract with Dan Slater concerning mileage reimbursements.
- Uniforms
- At the Nov 13 volunteer meeting we will gather information on who will have uniforms and which company we will use to purchase from.
- Volunteer recognition
- A small dinner will be provided. Compensation for volunteers will be a $500 sign on stipend (shifts required), uniform allowances, certification and similar reimbursements, party prize drawings based on quarterly performance were discussed, radios for active volunteers.
- Patient Billing
- We now bill Medicare thru Business Options.
- Technology
- Laptops will be ordered by Tom for A1 and A2.
- AVA update
- Waiting on completing 990s, once resolved they will disband, forwarding or transferring remaining assets to AVAD.
Budget discussion
- Modifies corrections
- Community outreach was $1500 increase to $4500
- Facility reimbursement was $1200 increase to $3600
- Insurance workman comp was $6000 increase to $7000
- Uniforms was $2000 increase to $10,000
- Training continuing education (new) $20,000
- Training devices
- books was $2000 increase to $3000
- Training equipment was $1000 increase to $2000
- Ambulance computers was $2000 increases to $3000
- Ambulance Maintance was $3000 increases to $6000
- Vehicles (new) $35,000
- Grant matching (new) $6000
- Medical devices (new) $6000
- Nicole is to contact CPS to see how this will work and affect our proposed budget.
Adjourned 22:05
Next schedules Board Meeting Nov 18, 2019
November 13 Volunteer Meeting
AVAD will conducting a volunteer appreciation and information meeting. We will be meeting at Howard Hall on Wednesday November 13th at 1800. Brats, snacks, drinks and sweets will be available for you to eat. We will be updating our records as well as going over scheduling, uniforms and our new volunteer benefit package. Now that we are a district we are able to offer some great perks to our volunteers who offer their time and efforts to serving their community and assisting AVAD. Please bring the following items:
EMT’s/Drivers
* License number and expiration (EMT’s)
* Drivers License
* BLS/ACLS or other certification cards
Thank you all for your continued service to AVAD. We are still learning and growing so please let us know how we can improve as well as make sure you have the tools you need to be an active volunteer.
If you are on the fence about volunteering please start thinking about what your barriers might be and ways we could maybe help. Also we will be teaching an EMT course in Howard starting in January. If you know of anyone who may be interested or if you are a driver who may be interested please let us know.
Thank you,
Arkansas Valley Board of Directors
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