Sanborn and Primghar, Iowa — Two O’Brien County emergency medical service teams are joining forces to give each other a little time off once in a while.
Paul Schuler is Director of the Sanborn Ambulance Team, and he says the continual decline in the number of volunteers to staff small town ambulance teams puts stress on members to fill shifts. As a result, Schuler says the Sanborn and Primghar Ambulance teams are teaming up to share the load.
In addition, Schuler says the Sanborn Ambulance Team is attempting to recruit new members.
Some area communities have hired a full-time paramedic to augment their ambulance teams. Schuler says the Sanborn Ambulance and Fire Departments are looking at the possibility of joining forces.
He says the prospective merger of the two agencies could provide multiple benefits.
Schuler encourages the older population of Sanborn to consider volunteering for the Sanborn Ambulance Team. As he says, “You’re never too old to be someone’s hero.” And, he says, with the cooperation of the fire department to do the heavy lifting, you won’t need to worry about being physically strong enough to handle the patient.
The Sanborn Ambulance Team currently has just eight members, and the Primghar team has just nine. If you are interested in joining either ambulance team, contact a team member or visit City Hall.
