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WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1984, PAGE 5 Tiered response system could result in paramedie prouram A few lives that otherwise would be lost will be saved through the implemenation of a tiered response system for emergency situations. According to Bill Cocker and Derek Pearce, the owners of the Whitby Ambulance Service, a critically in- jured patient will have no longer than four minutes to wait before basic emergency life support arrives on the scene. The tiered response system will mean that either an ambulance or a crew from the Whitby Fire Department will be on the scene of an ac- cident or other emergency in the fastest possible time. The Church Speaks mwIp Sponsored by the WHITBY MINISTERIAL ASSOCIATION By THE REV. STANLEY ISHERWOOD Rector St. John's Anglican Church On a recent foray into the Oshawa General Hospital in search of a parishioner-patient, I was spied by a group of nurses in deep conversation at their nurses' station. "There's one," They had noticed my clerical collar. "Ask him. He'll know." And so they did. "At a wedding who decides how much should be given to the church, the clergyman or the couple?" Not too likely a topic of conversation on F6,.or wherever it was, but it certainly led to new insights on both my part and that of some of the nurses. Over the next half hour or so we covered some points which I felt mightwell be worth sharing with others; with you, to be exact. Please remember that these thoughts come out of the context of the congregation where I serve. While they are probably worth, the consideration of any other congregation I know that they will not always be either applicable or acceptable. 1. We do not "rent out" the Lord's House or his clergy. Both are available for services of worship involving members of the Christian family, nor- mally those who are members of our own congregation. So: a) while there is a fee for extra caretaking services there is no charge for the use of the church; b) while there is sometimes a gift given to the clergyman this is by no means expected, for weddings, baptisms or funerals; and, c) when someone phones and says, "You don't know me but I was wondering about a baptsim (wedding) in your church", my response tends to be, "I should know you. Come and get to know me and my church and then let's talk about baptism (wedding). 2. Baptisms, marriages and funerals are very public events, none is private. Our baptisms take place in the context of our Sunday public worship and we ask that weddings and funerals be held in the church. 3. Remarriage of divorced people is permitted in the Anglican Church, but: a) the couple should have been known to the clergy for a period of at least one year before the remarriage; and, b) the remarriage must be approved by the Matrimonial Commission of the Diocese. The problems with baptism, marriage and burial is that they have becomé such social events that people often forget their religious foundation even when they are performed in the context of a church building. The church itself has often acted as if the ceremony is more important than the commitment of those involved. It's not hard to imagine God saying to us as he said once through the prophet Amos, "I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies." At a baptism we welcome a new member of God's family, one who shares the death and resurrection of Jesus and is marked as Christ's forever. At a marriage we acknowledge God's hand in every aspect of our lives and pray that the unity of husband and wife may be made complete through their commitment to God. At a funeral we commit a fellow travellor to the next stage of his journey, into the hands of a loving God. It is no joy to me to see people turn away from baptism, marriage or a funeral because I have tried to help them see these things. But it is a great joy to know that they understand and then to share with them these very special times. JOEA.C - - - "The idea," Cocker says, "is to get somebody there within four minutes ... somebody who can start C.P.R. (car- diopulmonary resusci- tation)." More often than not, once the central dispat- cher has determined what kind of situation is facing them, the fire department and the ambulance service will always be sent to the scene. Pearce points out that every member of the Whitby Fire Depar- tment has had both first aid and C.P.R. training and is quite capable of handling the situation. What this means is that if both of Whitby's two ambulances are already responding t calls, then the fir department will be ab] to take over and provic basic life support unt the ambulance atter dants arrive. "Somebody wi always respond, Cocker says. Both men point ot that this system i nothing new to Whitby. "It's nothing new we've been doing thi sort of thing for years we've always have ha( a good rapport with tht fire department,' Cocker says. "We hav always had a goo working relationshii with the fire depar tment." The ambulance atten dants make a trip t< Whitby's fire stations or a regular basis so thal they can become familiar with the equipment on the fire trucks and the firefighters can become familiar with the equipment aboard am- bulances. Pearce points out that it saves time if each service knows there to get the equipment needed to help the other. Havingdfirefighters witb-first aid and C.P.R. training gives an added bonus to the ambulance service. If they need to transport a patient to hospital while perfor- ming the live saving technique then a firefighter will ride in back with one attendant and help perform the procedure. "If that kind of situation, having three men on the ambulance is an advantage," Cocker says adding, "And if we arrive and the firefighters are not needed, they leave straight away, so there's no tying up of fire vehicles and ser- vices." If the entire Town of Whitby is taken into consideration - in- eluding the rural areas of Brooklin, Ashburn, VIyrtle and Myrtle Station - *the average umbulance response [ime in emergencies is ix minutes. "But we can be down- onw inless than two inutes" from the am- ulance station on eech St., Cocker says. Another strong sup- orter of the tiered FANTASTICUTS UNISEX 10% OFF ALL PERMS Hair Care For The Whole Family Is oOFF SHAMPOO, CUT AND SET Call For An Appointment 668-1310 852 BROCK ST. N., WHITBY advantages to the im- plementation of the tiered response system is that it is one of the requirements for the in- troduction of a paramedic program. Cocker sits on a com- mittee of local health care officials who are studying ways of ex- panding the paramedic program currently en- joyed in the City of Oshawa. "This is the first stage," he says, "Hopefully within the next couple of years we'll be able to start a paramedic program of our own." Aside from the tiered response system, the ambulance service already has the two other requirements of the paramedic program - a central dispatch and specialized radio equipment. "The only things we don't have is the training for the person- nel and the equipment for the vehicles," Cocker says. "But even without a paramedic program, the tiered response is stillea benefit to the com- munity." Should the new system save just one life that otherwise would be lost Cocker will be more than right. '- | Cocker and Derek Pearce of the Whitby Ambulance Service response system is Whitby Fire Chief Ed Crouch who has been pushing for such a system to be implemen- ted region wide for six months now. The fire department's average emergency response time is bet- ween three and five minutes, Crouch says. "I'm very pro to get this service moving," the chief says. "It is very, very satisfactory, it's working extremely well." What counts the most, he pointed out, having a trained person on the scene as quickly as possible. Crouch adds that it is a challenge to his men to be part of the system and points out that those who don't have C.P.R. training will be getting it. In the event of an emergency, the rescue truck or pumper truck nearest the scene will be dispatched to aid the ambulance service. The ambulance ser- vice, it should be poin- ted out, always respon- ds to a structure fire in the Town of Whitby. Crouch also has nothing but praise for the Whitby Ambulance Service. "They are one of the best in Ontario, if not the best." Cocker says that one of 'the more immediate