New EMT center goes up

Whidbey General Hospital Emergency Medical Services Manager Roger Meyers is excited about the new Oak Harbor paramedic quarters currently under construction at 800 N.E. 7th Ave.

“Six minutes. That’s all the time a heart attack victim who’s stopped breathing has before his chances of recovery are drastically reduced.And that perilous time frame is one of the reasons Whidbey General Hospital Emergency Medical Services Manager Roger Meyers is excited about the new Oak Harbor paramedic quarters currently under construction at 800 N.E. 7th Ave. When completed this fall, the 5,300-square-foot building will allow for an additional, full-time paramedic crew in Oak Harbor and a doubling of the chances for saving lives, Meyers said. That, and help the hospital continue to meet the growing demand for Whidbey’s medical emergencies, even as the Island’s population climbs beyond 70,000.One of our goals is 90 percent of the time to have an ambulance at someone’s door within six minutes, Meyers said. But if we don’t put another service on quickly, we’ll be behind that goal.Whidbey Island voters approved funding for the Oak Harbor EMT center in 1998.Besides keeping response times low, increased demand was another factor driving construction, Meyers said, noting that last year Whidbey paramedics and emergency medical technicians responded to 4,400 calls.That’s a lot of calls for an island of our population, Meyers said. That’s why we’ve strategically placed our people and vehicles.Currently, Whidbey has three full-time paramedic crews stationed in Freeland, Coupeville and Oak Harbor. The crews in Freeland and Coupeville have their own buildings, but Oak Harbor’s paramedics operates out of the fire station on Whidbey Avenue.Oak Harbor’s fire department has been very gracious to let us lease space for one crew, but they’re pretty full, Meyers said.Currently little more than foundation and walls, the new building is estimated to cost about $690,000. It will represent the first paramedic quarters specifically built for that purpose on the island, Meyers said.Besides a large garage bay that will eventually hold four emergency response vehicles, the building will also feature living areas upstairs, including a small gym.Crews will rotate 24- and 48-hour shifts, and North Whidbey will get increased emergency medical care.It can save paramedics’ time, Meyers said of the new center. And time is critical when you’re trying to save a life. You can reach News-Times reporter D. Patrick Connolly at dconnolly@whidbeynewstimes.com or call 675-6611.”