Dennis Morlan was weary when he met with the county board of supervisors Monday with the his emergency management budget for the next fiscal year. There were no accidents reported during the weekend’s winter storm, but that didn’t mean a quiet weekend for the EMS team. Morlan reported making three ambulance runs to Des Moines. On a Saturday night run he could drive only 30 mph. On a Sunday run he was escorted south on Highway 4 by a DOT snowplow.
The emergency management budget hasn’t changed in many years. (Link to the Feb. 2 minutes under the Calendar/Agendas tab to learn more.) Morlan used his time with the supervisors to share his thoughts about emergency responders in the county.
“I’m proud of this little county,” he said. “We’re not very big, but I maintain that every one of our squads, every one of our public safety entities, takes a great deal of pride in taking care of their area and doing the best job they can. We all know that when the stuff hits the fan, we’ll come together. We do come together, and we do a fine job.”
Supervisor Dawn Rudolph noted the benefit residents find in emergency response crews that work together. “For most people, it’s the peace of mind of knowing they’ll be OK,” she said.
Morlan reported Greene County EMS responded to 715 calls in 2014. About 100 of them did not result in transporting a patient.
He also presented his budget for Greene County EMS and updated the supervisors on the status of the ambulance fleet. (Ambulances are county-owned by operated by Greene County EMS). He said there is no immediate need for an ambulance. One, a new unit purchased in 2010, is “the prettiest girl in town.” About a 1990 ambulance, Morlan said, “ she’s the oldest girl in the house…. She purrs like a kitten…. She’s the best ride in the house.”
