Community Involvement
As in previous years 2010 was a year full of activity and growth for Gilpin ambulance within the community.
Senior Luncheons
On the 3rd Wednesday of every month one of the Gilpin Ambulance crews will go to the community center to offer vitals checks (blood pressures, heart rates and pulse oximetry readings) for anyone interested. It is a good idea for all of us to keep track of these numbers since "normal" varies from person to person and this service gives the seniors of our county a convenient way to find what is normal for each of them. It also allows the crews to get to know many of the residents on a more personal basis which could go a long way toward alleviating some of the stress and anxiety involved when someone has to call an ambulance for help.
In December we teamed with Black Hawk Fire to serve lunch to the seniors group and offer them vital sign checks. After lunch Chris Williams of the Black Hawk Fire Department gave a presentation about winter fire safety in the home. Firefighter Williams answered many pertinent questions, and his presentation was informative and well received. Zane Laubhan, director of Gilpin Ambulance Authority has said that he hopes to be able to make this a quarterly event.
County Fair
Each year Gilpin Ambulance has provided invaluable services to Gilpin County citizens by providing FREE cardiac screening and Q&A at the Gilpin County Fair. A booth is set up with 2 private screening rooms where attendees can get a 12 lead EKG performed and a brief medical screening. Patients then get a quick interpretation of the EKG as well as answers to health related questions and concerns. This year multiple patients were urged to start or continue to prescreen their cardiac health. One patient was taken to the hospital due to his "silent cardiac event" that was occurring that very day. In 2010 we performed 173 routine preventative 12 Lead EKGs.
Medical Alert Units
We continue to maintain medical alert units purchased by the county. The alert units are provided at no cost to "at risk" members of our community who request them. The unit has a remote that hangs around the person’s neck allowing them to summon emergency assistance even when unable to get to a phone. Emergencies rarely have any tolerance for delay of treatment and this program provided by Gilpin Ambulance gives residents peace of mind that help is just around the corner.
911 Stair Climb
September 11th was memorialized for the first time in Black Hawk at the Ameristar casino. Gilpin Ambulance and Black Hawk fire department hosted the inaugural 9/11 stair climb, challenging participants to climb 110 stories in memory of fallen fire fighters, paramedics and police officers lost in the collapse. Plans are in the works to make the 10 year anniversary in 2011 something special.
Cemetery Cleanup
In July the Gilpin County Historical Preservation Advisory Commission coordinated a clean up and re-fencing project at the Red Men Cemetery in Central City. The fencing effort took hours to complete. We were on site to help monitor the safety of participants using heavy machinery and power tools. We also assisted in fixing overturned gravestones re-attaching them and re-securing them to their bases.
CPR Courses
Gilpin ambulance has some phenomenal community outreach instructors who offer CPR courses to groups who want to be able to help in the event of an emergency. The course covers everything from current CPR guidelines, early activation of the 911 system and basic first aid for minor wounds and can help the community stabilize critical patients and buy us time to reach our patients. Furthermore, those who attend learn about what to expect of their 911 responders and when they should call 911 for help.