Small Town News

Rolette Ambulance Service wins state-wide honor

---

The Rolette Community Ambulance Service was presented with the Service of the Year award at the North Dakota EMS Association Conference, held April 17 in Minot.

Doreen Beachy, who has served as a member of the ambulance corps for ten years, attributes service's association with Heart of America Medical Center - Golden Heart Paramedics, out of Rugby, with its success.

"It's much better," Beachy said. "We've really (grown) since we joined with Rugby."

There is more education, thanks to Golden Heart, Beachy pointed out. With monthly trainings, First Responder and basic refresher courses, the service has grown. Before, Beachy and Robert Haggerty were the service's only emergency medical technicians; now, the corps has six new EMT's, as well as ten First Responders, several of whom are moving on to becoming EMT's.

The ambulance service started in 1973 as a volunteer ambulance service and, for the past thirty-seven years, serviced the southern half of Rolette County. The corps "goes way out to the country" to the county line near Willow City, through Rolette and Mylo, and as far east as Agate, Beachy said.

Tammy Wentz, of Golden Heart Paramedics, serves as the Rolette Community Ambulance Manager. She penned the nomination letter which helped secure the service's award.

"We feel that the Rolette Community Ambulance Service would be a worthy nomination for Regional Ambulance Service of the Year," Wentz wrote. She noted that, over the last few years, the service went through a "major restructuring," including the hiring of Heart of America Medical Center-Golden Heart Paramedics.

"A new wave of volunteers joined the ambulance (service) to support the existing volunteers, as well as their community," Wentz said, adding that the active number of members jumped from five to 21. "This sudden wave of a positive volunteer spirit gave the existing volunteers a 'shot in the arm' and they, in turn, took the new volunteers under their wing to help them get started."

In its close ties with the Rolette community, the ambulance service grew. A strong working relationship was created with the Rolette Fire Department and, in turn, members of the fire department have now joined the ambulance service, while maintaining their membership with the fire department, Wentz said.

The ambulance service "has become a very positive, forward-thinking and forward-moving squad," Wentz concluded.

"She's the push behind us," Beachy said of Wentz.

Fundraisers have been organized to keep the ambulance service going, as well as to fuel the option of remodeling the existing building - it shares quarters with the Rolette Fire Department and the Rolette City Hall or building a new facility.

The members of the ambulance Service, other than the Beachy's and Wentz include Jared Azure, Jamie Bercier, John Bercier, Grace Brown, Rck Bruce, Rodney DeCoteau, Mitchell Gottbreht, Linda and Robert Haggerty, Abigaiil Harlow, Carrie and Jay Heinz, Jason Heinz, Pauline and Rich Roach. Jim Scott, Mike Stewart, Dan and Julie Tastad, and Paul Tastad.



Copyright 2010 Turtle Mountain Star, Rolla, North Dakota. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2010 Turtle Mountain Star Rolla, North Dakota. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

More from Turtle Mountain Star