DID YOU KNOW: In the 1960s the Lake Arrowhead EMS system was run through Mountains Community Hospital (then known as Santa Anita Hospital.) The ambulance served more as more of a “scoop and run” operation without EMTs or paramedics. In approximately 1978, Running Springs Fire Department began a paramedic program, staffing paramedic squads. Lake Arrowhead Fire District wanted to provide this higher quality of service to its community as well. Ed Poe and Dick Hamilton were the first Lake Arrowhead firefighters to attend paramedic school—at their own expense. Poe and Hamilton began campaigning throughout the neighborhood to build support for paramedic service on the mountain. They even went as far as contacting the newspaper to be interviewed to spread the word and generate interest. However, Fire Chief Ray Canisaras was against a paramedic program. His argument was that the fire department should concentrate on fire suppression. Still Poe and Hamilton would not stop their insistence on going ALS. Fire Chief Jay Lawrence took over for Canisaras in 1979 and decided a change was in order. In 1981 the Lake Arrowhead community voted for the “Mountains Community Advanced Life Support Tax” or the “PM1 tax.” This tax would pay for three paramedics at a cost to each property owner of around $70 per year. Each paramedic paid for with this tax received a letter which documented this. Lake Arrowhead Fire then established six paramedic positions, but of course only three were funded. Four firefighter/paramedics were hired, all working extra shifts to cover all six positions. These paramedics were: Jeff Carrera, Ed Poe, Charlie Mazza, and Dave Loest. Ambulance 94 became the primary paramedic ambulance, staffed with two paramedics each day. MA94 responded to the medical aids in case advanced life support was needed. The ambulance only served Lake Arrowhead, while the other ambulances served the balance of the Mountains Community Hospital District. By 1982 Lake Arrowhead Fire District had acquired equipment such as a Lifepack 5 monitor and Motorola APCOR radios. Some examples of medications they carried were nitroglycerine, epinephrine, lidocaine, morphine, Demerol, Terbutaline, Decadron, Mannitol, Isoprel inhalers and Aminophylline. MAST suits were commonly used for shock. Source: FIREWIRE magazine Past Present Future Dec 2014. Author: Firefighter/Paramedic Jeremy Pendergraft Submitted by Engineer Jeff Allen
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 16:00:00 +0000
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