Officials in Gooding County are looking to upgrade the quality of medical service its residents get. That improvement also necessitates a new facility.
When medical emergencies strike in sparsely populated Gooding County, odds are the first responder will be an emergency medical technician, or EMT. County authorities want to raise the bar and have a professional at the paramedic level takeover that initial treatment.
Barbara Porter, the director of the county’s ambulance service, tells the Times News talks about upgrading the quality of care have be ongoing for about two years. The county hopes to make the switch to paramedics in the next few months.
Porter says the more advanced professionals can conduct more invasive procedures – she likens their work to critical care. Several current EMTs in Gooding County have gone to paramedic school and received certification.
With the quality of service rising, county officials say a new ambulance station is needed. The current facility in downtown Gooding sees a lot of foot traffic pass by. That could present a problem when the call comes in and seconds could mean the difference between life and death.
Gooding County applied for a federal Community Development Block Grant to help cover the cost of a new ambulance station. It made it through a preliminary round and is waiting to hear about further advancement. The county has a shortlist of four preferred locations, including one in Wendell.
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