In the past year, the East Shore Health Society (ESHS) embarked on a project to study the shortage of health services on the East Shore of Kootenay Lake, from Riondel to Kuskanook. One of the concerns was the shortage of first responder 3s (FR3s) and how ESHS might expand the successful FR3 program of the Boswell and District Emergency Volunteers (BADEV). Since 1980, BADEV has successfully been providing care and comfort to victims of accidents and illnesses while waiting for the arrival of an ambulance.
At the Oct. 9, 2013 ESHS meeting, a subcommittee consisting of Rod Stewart, Tom Wishart and Gary Hill was established to set some procedures to see if this was possible. The plan was to find some funds to enable the training of new FR3s ($3,000) and to equip each of them with an emergency bag ($1,200) plus an automated external defibrillator (AED, $1,800) and an oxygen tank ($45).
This was an expensive project to embark upon. In January 2014, 12 volunteers from all along the East Shore, including Riondel, Pilot Bay, Kootenay Bay, Crawford Bay, Gray Creek and Boswell, received in-depth training from BADEV’s Patty Thygesen and Rod Stewart, thanks to a $3,000 Regional District of Central Kootenay Area A discretionary grant from director Garry Jackman.
As soon as these 12 individuals passed their test to become official FR3s, ESHS had to begin securing funds to equip each new FR3 with an equipment bag, an AED and an oxygen tank. The Riondel Volunteer Fire Department and BADEV were able to cover part of the costs, but most of the equipment was able to be purchased because of grants from the Creston-Kootenay Foundation ($3,200), the Columbia Basin Trust Community Initiatives Program ($5,385) and the Columbia Basin Trust Community Development Program ($10,000).
Thanks to these donations, the entire East Shore now has FR3s to treat and comfort victims of accidents and illnesses while waiting for an ambulance.
This is just a start. FR3s need to be recertified every three years and equipment needs to be replaced as it is used up. Each community will need to consider future fundraising to keep their FR3s trained and equipped. Also, each community needs to recruit new volunteers to help spread the load. BADEV’s next training session will be in 2016. Search your community for possible candidates; send Rod Stewart (rod.jean@telus.net) the name of anyone willing to become an FR3 for 2016 training.