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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 2014-03-05, Page 1Poverty Local papers make poverty year-long focus get it 411 The 9.50 HST included PM40064683R07656 Luck ow Sentine www.lucknowsentinel.com n n 1 Wednesday, March 5, 2014 finalists ifr Strdk tea Photo submitted The Lucknow Wingham 86'ers Bantam C girl team were the International Silver Stick Finalists held in Port Elgin Feb. 7 and Feb. 9. Back row, left to right: Brad Humphrey (assistant coach), Carly Kreller, Jessica Nelson, Jeff Bloemberg (coach), Lexi Smith, Vicky Nicholson, Katie Murray, Emily Bloemberg, Robin Montgomery, Loretta Higgins, lan Montgomery (assistant coach), Betty Jane Higgins (trainer). Middle row: Skye Maldini, Sydney Pruden, Alicia Douglas, Emma Metcalfe, Emma Sangster. Front row: Pilar Dietrich. Some long wait times for EMS in wintry January Dispatch troubles continuing for area Paul Cluff QMI Agency A tough winter has had its effects on Huron county's ambulance www.lucknowsentineicom service, causing some delays, including a 285 -minute wait for one call. Huron County council was presented with response times for January at their committee of the whole day 2 meeting on Wed. Feb. 19. EMS chief Dave Lew said some of the delays this winter are due to weather conditions. A call that came in at 8 p.m. on Jan. 24 was not attended to until 12:45 a.m. the following morning. Lew explained that weather was to blame for that particular call. "We were dealing with road clo- sures, trying to get through the snow to begin with, then around the different roads to get to the appropriate location," he told the Signal Star. Environment Canada reported a temperature of minus 30, with winds gusting as high as 80 kilo- metres per hour on that date. Another call on Jan. 24 required 90 minutes for EMS to arrive. Eight calls last month took 50 minutes or longer. Lew told council that an EMS staffer was stuck at a station due to weather without enough food to last past a 12 -hour shift. A staffer suggested having enough supplies in the event they are storm -stayed. Lew also discussed difficulties with dispatch services - provided by the Central Ambulance Com- munication Centre (CACC) in London that began before EMS was downloaded to the upper tiers in 2001. For more than a dozen years, discussions, originating from Middlesex and Oxford counties, have been ongoing about down- loading the London communica- tions centre. Though the Ministry of Health and Long -Term Care blocked the move in 2002/03, Ottawa and Niagara EMS have since swayed the ministry to oper- ate their own dispatch systems. The ministry seems receptive, Lew's report stated. Coun. Ben Van Diepenbeek (Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh) suggested using caution if approaching the government CONTINUED > PAGE 3 111 }• ' 1� r ;rte' 4}' 1. ' - "'f -_ff - J r r ,� 41 Wind turbines Closing arguments heard Poverty Local papers make poverty year-long focus get it 411 The 9.50 HST included PM40064683R07656 Luck ow Sentine www.lucknowsentinel.com n n 1 Wednesday, March 5, 2014 finalists ifr Strdk tea Photo submitted The Lucknow Wingham 86'ers Bantam C girl team were the International Silver Stick Finalists held in Port Elgin Feb. 7 and Feb. 9. Back row, left to right: Brad Humphrey (assistant coach), Carly Kreller, Jessica Nelson, Jeff Bloemberg (coach), Lexi Smith, Vicky Nicholson, Katie Murray, Emily Bloemberg, Robin Montgomery, Loretta Higgins, lan Montgomery (assistant coach), Betty Jane Higgins (trainer). Middle row: Skye Maldini, Sydney Pruden, Alicia Douglas, Emma Metcalfe, Emma Sangster. Front row: Pilar Dietrich. Some long wait times for EMS in wintry January Dispatch troubles continuing for area Paul Cluff QMI Agency A tough winter has had its effects on Huron county's ambulance www.lucknowsentineicom service, causing some delays, including a 285 -minute wait for one call. Huron County council was presented with response times for January at their committee of the whole day 2 meeting on Wed. Feb. 19. EMS chief Dave Lew said some of the delays this winter are due to weather conditions. A call that came in at 8 p.m. on Jan. 24 was not attended to until 12:45 a.m. the following morning. Lew explained that weather was to blame for that particular call. "We were dealing with road clo- sures, trying to get through the snow to begin with, then around the different roads to get to the appropriate location," he told the Signal Star. Environment Canada reported a temperature of minus 30, with winds gusting as high as 80 kilo- metres per hour on that date. Another call on Jan. 24 required 90 minutes for EMS to arrive. Eight calls last month took 50 minutes or longer. Lew told council that an EMS staffer was stuck at a station due to weather without enough food to last past a 12 -hour shift. A staffer suggested having enough supplies in the event they are storm -stayed. Lew also discussed difficulties with dispatch services - provided by the Central Ambulance Com- munication Centre (CACC) in London that began before EMS was downloaded to the upper tiers in 2001. For more than a dozen years, discussions, originating from Middlesex and Oxford counties, have been ongoing about down- loading the London communica- tions centre. Though the Ministry of Health and Long -Term Care blocked the move in 2002/03, Ottawa and Niagara EMS have since swayed the ministry to oper- ate their own dispatch systems. The ministry seems receptive, Lew's report stated. Coun. Ben Van Diepenbeek (Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh) suggested using caution if approaching the government CONTINUED > PAGE 3