Le Mars odd/even parking now in effect
The Le Mars Police Department has announced that odd/even parking is now in effect. You may notice friendly yellow warning slips being placed on vehicles. These warnings will continue until the first measurable snowfall is predicted. The warning reads as follows.
“When odd and even parking is in effect, citizens are to park for the next calendar day. If the next day is an odd calendar day, park on the side of the street with odd house numbers. If the next day is an even calendar day, park on the side of the street with even house numbers. The calendar day shall begin at 6 p.m. preceding the date.”
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Hinton Fire and EMS renews plea for help amidst staffing shortage
Hinton Fire and EMS has renewed their request for volunteer help amidst a full-time staff shortage. On September 20th, Hinton Fire Chief Cameron Peirce posted the following on the Hinton Fire and EMS Facebook page.
“Hinton Fire Rescue Ambulance is currently facing a critical EMS staffing shortage. Out of a 22-member department, only 8 individuals are EMT certified, and a small percentage of those 8 members are responding to approximately 90% of all EMS calls due to jobs and availability. At the current rate, we are at risk of one day losing our ability to provide ambulance service in the future. Our limited personnel are exhausted, call volume continues to rise, and interest in new membership remains non existent.”
KLEM spoke with Chief Peirce and Safety Captain Christopher Fischer last week. They have received no volunteer interest in covering their EMS services in the six weeks since the Facebook post. Two weeks ago, Hinton Fire and EMS was spread so thin, they missed a call.
Dedicated first responders like Peirce and Fischer are burning the candle at both ends. EMS call volume has been on the rise, as Hinton Fire and EMS is now averaging about 200 calls a year for EMS services alone. To make matters worse, EMS is not classified as an essential service under Iowa law, which creates funding issues. Another excerpt from Peirce’s Facebook post is as follows.
“Our ambulance service receives little to no direct funding and relies entirely on patient transport billing. Unfortunately, on top of everything else, only small amount of submitted invoices are paid, making it financially unfeasible to sustain operations long term.”
EMS training is also a long road. Hinton Fire and EMS works with the high school to start the training process, but EMT certification requires a high school diploma or a GED. This makes it difficult to retain young adults starting their EMT journey, as they often commit to other priorities like higher education away from home.
Safety Captain Fischer was frank: “We all have day jobs. We have babies coming soon.” Both Fischer and Chief Peirce are expecting children in the next several months. Two main pillars of Hinton Fire and EMS will have shifted priorities. Bottom line – there aren’t enough sets of hands to cover the 115 square miles in the Hinton area. First responders in neighboring towns assist when they can, but just a few extra minutes of response time can be the difference between life and death.
In the past, Hinton Fire and EMS has gone to the Plymouth County Board of Supervisors for help with EMS services. Peirce and Fischer believe a full-time EMS position that covers weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., even if the position is based in Le Mars, would make a big difference. Most volunteer EMTs are only available after their day jobs, leaving the daytime window vulnerable for the limited full-time staffers in Hinton.
Fischer emphasized that this problem isn’t exclusive to Hinton: “Small towns everywhere have this issue.” The fear is that if someone doesn’t step in soon, Hinton Fire and EMS may lose their ambulance services within the next five years, which would put strain on not only the Hinton area, but all of Plymouth County.
To see the full September 20th Facebook post from Chief Peirce, click the link below.
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Iowa Learning Farms to host field day in Le Mars tomorrow
Iowa Learning Farms will host a cover crop and manure management field day as part of their “Beyond the Basics: Advanced Cover Crop Series” in Le Mars tomorrow from noon-2 p.m. The event is open to farmers and landowners at no cost and includes a complimentary meal.
The field day will feature Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Field Agronomist Leah Ten Napel, who will share the important role cover crops play on the landscape and how they can be integrated into a corn-soybean system. Daniel Andersen, Associate Professor and Extension Manure Management Specialist with Iowa State, will discuss how manure can be integrated into systems with living cover. The field day will also feature Tony Schroeder, a local farmer and Plymouth County Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioner, who will share about his experiences using cover crops and manure on his farm.
The field day will begin at the upper level of the Le Mars Convention Center located at 275 12th Street SE. It will continue at the Tony Schroeder Farm, located on the corner of K-64 and 230th Street.
