Data and anecdotes showing emergency medical gaps in rural Muscatine County were presented to the Muscatine County Board of Supervisors’ meeting on Sept. 9.
Chris Jasper, director of Muscatine County Emergency Management, was among the presenters seeking to make the board aware of the need for changes and the work that’s been done towards that end.
The Muscatine County EMS Association has been meeting for over a year to determine the future of essential services in Muscatine County.
“One of the things that we looked at is what are our current gaps, our current situation,” Jasper said. “The first thing that we found needed some attention was the average response time to rural county areas in Muscatine County currently.”
In 2023, average response time was 16 minutes and six seconds for an ambulance to get to a patient in rural Muscatine County, Jasper said.
Jasper recalled an incident in which he was covering dispatch and received a 911 call regarding a man outside of Stockton who was having a cardiac issue.
“We dispatched the appropriate ambulance service. After 10 minutes, they told us they didn’t have a crew available, so we went to the next closest ambulance service. After 10 minutes, they told us they didn’t have a crew available,” Jasper said. “It was actually 38 minutes, almost 39 minutes, before an ambulance got to that gentleman out in the county. That’s in one of those areas where there’s no first responder.”
First responders are trained and certified to provide basic care in medical emergencies and often are the first to arrive at the scene of an incident. Seventy-two percent of ambulance calls aren’t within a first responder district or a first responder area.
“They don’t have the neighbors coming out with their AED pack before the ambulance gets there to assist since that call time is extended,” Jasper said.
Goals include creating a countywide first responder network which could use a public safety response phone app such as PulsePoint, with an ultimate goal of getting help to people within four to six minutes; providing fiscal resources for first responders and ambulance services to help them operate and transport people; and increasing staff.
Skillup initiative
The board heard a virtual update from representatives of the Mississippi Valley Workforce Development Board on its mission, including the launch of a new e-learning platform called “Skillup Mississippi Valley.”
The board is a workforce development board and non-profit organization that oversees workforce services in Jackson, Clinton, Scott, Muscatine, Henry, Louisa, Des Moines and Lee counties in Iowa called the “Mississippi Valley Workforce Development Area.”
Residents in the workforce area can access “Skillup” for free. The platform, which has over 7,000 online courses, is available at mississippivalleyworkforce.org.
Muscatine CARES app
The Muscatine CARES app has been launched.
The Emergency Management Commission and the Board of Health partnered to create the emergency preparedness and public health app.
Muscatine CARES is available at iPhone App Store and Google Play Store.
Muscatine CARES stands for “community, alerting, resource, emergency system.”
Hearing on $195K jail bathroom
Supervisors approved a resolution setting a public hearing at 9 a.m. Monday, Sept. 23, at the Muscatine County Administration Building, on a proposal to repurpose bond proceeds of $195,000 initially allocated for construction of a bathroom addition at the Muscatine County Jail. The bond proceeds came from a $3 million General Obligation County Purpose Note, Series 2023.
“The Board and staff agree that a discussion is required to determine if the jail bathroom addition is a need at this time or if said bond proceeds would be better utilized for other repairs at the Muscatine County Jail and Sheriff’s Office,” the resolution said.
$25K for Environmental Center
Supervisors approved the proposal of $24,950 from Winona Controls to upgrade the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system at the Environmental Learning Center. Located at 3300 Cedar St. in Muscatine, the center houses the Muscatine County Conservation Board offices, natural history exhibit and more.
Update on courthouse cupola
Supervisors affirmed the change order of $3,951.52 for installation of materials to support new cupola metal on the Muscatine County Courthouse roof. Removal of the old copper cupola from the top of the courthouse clocktower revealed a minimal underlying steel support/frame structure that allowed steel-to-copper contact. Corrosion occurred at contact points on the steel frame. Renaissance Historic Exteriors proposed cupola framing and sheathing work that would “provide a solid substrate for securing and supporting the new copper sheet metal, as well as providing a substrate for the installation of waterproofing underlayment,” Renaissance’s change order said.
Laura Curtis Kramer appointed
Supervisors appointed Laura Curtis Kramer of Muscatine to the Muscatine County Civil Service Commission for a six-year term ending June 30, 2030. A Republican, Kramer is a trade compliance manager at HNI Corporation.
Furnas named to grievance board
Supervisors selected Eric Furnas, Planning, Zoning and Environmental administrator, to serve on a grievance review board.