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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2016-09-15, Page 10PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2016. Huron East wants ACP issue revisited by county By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Huron East Council has asked Huron County Council to reconsider its decision to eliminate the advanced -care paramedic (ACP) program in Huron County, which continues to be a hot topic at municipal council meetings, with many protesting the controversial decision. Two delegations, from Local 4513 Acting President Brad Watters and Jeff Denys, spoke to the issue at Huron East Council's Sept. 6 meeting. Both Watters and Denys were against the elimination of the program and spoke in favour of the ACPs' skills and knowledge, calling the county decision a mistake. Both men said they didn't intend to denigrate the skills of primary- care paramedics (PCP) by their statements, but instead advocate for the skills of ACPs and their life -savings abilities. Watters said the program should be expanded, rather than eliminated, saying that highly -skilled paramedics had relocated from city centres like Toronto, London, Windsor and Kitchener/Waterloo to be part of Huron County's ACP program. Now, he said, they've been downgraded in pay and can't use the skills they've spent years honing. He also criticized some "misleading" statements he said had been made by some members of Huron County Council, including that paramedics had refused to be redeployed throughout the county to different stations. Watters said that he had personally been redeployed, so he felt the statements being made were false. Watters also told councillors that the county had been making an effort in recent years to not hire further ACPs, as he knew of a handful of other paramedics who had approached the county, wanting to become ACPs, but were told they would not be hired. He also said that with patients needing to be transferred to faraway hospitals like London and Stratford, "a lot can go wrong" during ambulance rides and ACPs can save a life during that time period. Watters felt the initial complaints came from disgruntled employees or other employees worried about being passed over by an ACP. In his presentation, Denys told councillors that ACPs can administer an additional 11 medications and perform 18 additional medical procedures than a PCP. Watters said that the ACP program only costs the county $150 per ratepayer per year, which would be well worth the money in his mind. Mayor Bernie MacLellan said that while the county said it stood to save over $1 million by eliminating the program immediately, the decision was made about more than money. Councillor Nathan Marshall said that if the decision was about more than money, council needs to know. MacLellan said that one of the factors was the medication necessary, much of which is thrown away. He also said that he had been personally approached by an ACP who said he didn't use his skills enough to feel confident in them. Councillor Dianne Diehl said she felt the decision was a "hasty" one and that council simply made up its mind overnight. MacLellan disagreed, saying that information had been presented and discussions had taken place in closed session for over a year. He also said that while there had been "new facts" presented to some, like Bluewater Council, which was asking the county to reconsider its decision, he felt that information On set As the cast and crew of The Drawer Boy film make their way towards the end of their shooting schedule, they spent a day at the Lobb farm just northwest of Clinton in the former Goderich Township. The group was striving for authenticity by spending a day on a farm very similar to that which was used as part of The Farm Show in 1972 and including Canadian theatre legend Paul Thompson, creator of The Farm Show, in the shoot. Above, actor Stuart Hughes goes over his lines while resting on a hay bale, while below, Aviva Armour -Ostroff, left, the movie's co-producer and associate director, has a word with actor Jakob Ehman. (Shawn Loughlin photos) was quite misleading, saying that it's coming from people who will "lose $11,000 a year on their paycheque". He said that while Bluewater Council was eager to revisit the issue after being told what the municipality would lose, councillors found out after the fact that there hadn't been an ACP stationed in Bluewater since 2011, adding that there is "a lot of misinformation" surrounding the issue since the program has been eliminated. He added that while he has received a lot of correspondence from people upset about the decision, he said that members of the public "who understand" the issue have been e -mailing and complimenting council's decision. Huron East Council then supported a letter sent by Bluewater Council asking that Huron County Council review its decision to eliminate the ACP program in light of new information. The letter will soon be sent to Huron County Council for comment. At the next day's Huron County Council meeting, Central Huron Deputy -Mayor Dave Jewitt brought forward a motion of his council, requesting that county council revisit the issue. The motion was be raised at the council's upcoming committee of the whole meeting, scheduled for Sept. 21 in Goderich. Blyth alley to close during renovations A portion of the alleyway between Drummond and Dinsley Street will be the subject of a temporary road closure for the next six months as part of the Blyth Memorial Community Hall renovation project. The alleyway was to be partially closed as part of the project, as to prevent problems for those who use it to access properties, however Director of Recreation and Facilities Pat Newson explained the closure would need to be complete for the project. Newson and Jeff Molenhuis, the Director of Public Works presented a report to North Huron Township Council during its Sept. 6 meeting explaining the need for the closure. The renovation, which commenced last Wednesday, will constitute the need for extra space behind Memorial Hall, Newson explained. The closure, which will be enforced as necessary for the contractor, could be in place until March 31, 2017, the deadline for the project. The report stated that the alley would likely be partially open after certain project components are completed. Newson explained that the extra space was necessary for staging and storage for the contractor. Council members asked which properties would be inaccessible when the road was closed, citing concern for the post office, however Newson explained the closure would happen further south than the post office and not be completely through the block. A map provided with the report indicated the closure. The report indicated there is no requirement for the alley to be open for anyone other than landowners with property adjacent to it, and stated that staff would work with those landowners to mitigate any problems caused by the closure. Purses Bainton's Old Mill Downtown Blyth 519-523-4740 PHOTO OF THE DAY Let us know what is happening in your area by emailing a picture for possible inclusion on our website's "Picture of the Day". Please include a small caption about the picture. Visit our website at northhuron.on.ca - maybe your picture will be the PHOTO OF THE DAY! Email submissions to: reporter@northhuron.on.ca