MORGANTOWN — With a population of over 100,000 and a major land grant university, Monongalia County is not a location one would normally associate with the word “wilderness.” However, in popular outdoor recreation spots like Coopers Rock State Forest, Snake Hill Wildlife Area, and the headwaters of Cheat Lake, it is possible to find yourself in a very remote, difficult-to-access location if you stray very far off the beaten path.
If you suffer a medical emergency or injury in one of those areas, it may be very difficult for responders to reach you and provide emergency medical care during rescue.
To bridge this gap, Monongalia Emergency Medical Services (Mon EMS) and Mountaineer Area Rescue Group (MARG) have joined forces to combine emergency medical services with wilderness search and rescue skills to make sure anyone who is sick or hurt in a remote outdoor location will receive EMS-standard care on-scene and during evacuation to an ambulance.
“We’ve had several remote patient incidents over the last few years where MARG’s Search and Rescue (SAR) capabilities were very helpful, such as a person with a medical emergency 500 feet below the Coopers Rock overlook or a traumatic injury when the only info on the patient’s location was coordinates from their cell phone,” MARG President Lee Fuell said.
With this new agreement, MARG personnel will respond with Mon EMS to remote-patient incidents, bringing search and rescue skills and state-of-the-art equipment to assist Mon EMS with locating, accessing, treating, and extricating patients. The agreement also gives properly certified MARG members the ability to become credentialed by Mon EMS to extend EMS standard care all the way to the patient, even if the patient is beyond the reach of standard EMS.
“This is a natural and synergistic partnership that aligns with the core mission of Monongalia EMS.” Stated Forest Weyen, Executive Director of Mon EMS, “The patients served by both of these agencies will have improved access to care, increased treatment options in remote environments, and a more efficient extrication from remote locations, all of which lead to better patient outcomes.”
The partnership not only includes response designations, but also includes medical education and annual competencies provided by Mon EMS to MARG. In addition, MARG is providing Mon EMS with outdoor training, education, wayfinding, map reading, and a host of other skills.
“This agreement will formalize the informal, ad-hoc support we’ve provided in the past and establish a systematic and pre-planned process for us to better care for patients in similar emergencies in the future.” Stated Fuell, “Smart, progressive partnerships, like between Mon EMS and MARG, allow those living, working, and playing in Monongalia County the peace of mind that when an emergency happens, Monongalia County has the tools and the talent to ensure that people get the best-possible care, regardless of where they are located in the county.”
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