Since becoming an emergency services district supported by tax dollars in 2018, the North Fork EMS has served not only as a professional ambulance service, but also as a community health service, offering house visits by paramedics and a pro-active prevention program.
In an election on May 6th, three incumbents on the 5-member Board of Directors are hoping to return to their seats, while four challengers try to unseat them. It’s been a hotly contested race, and in this second installment of a two-part series, KVNF profiles three of the challengers. Marty Durlin reports.
Three of the four candidates running against incumbents on the North Fork Emergency Medical Service Board agreed to talk to KVNF. All grew up in rural Colorado, in families where EMS is a tradition. They are decades younger than the incumbents, and all three are paramedics.
Blake Kinser’s dad served the NF Ambulance Association for 45 years. His grandfather was an EMT. Blake has been an emergency medical responder for 24 years, including at the Bowie Coal Mine.
BLAKE KINSER: For the last three years, I have worked as a full-time community paramedic, and I have seen the difference that it has made in community members with being able to hopefully try and catch something early or being able to maybe work with the patient's primary care provider and maybe treat in home versus having to be hospitalized. Everybody heals better at home.
I'm an open book. I am fully transparent and I believe that everybody should have insight into their agency that provides care to them and they should have open honest lines of communication with those that provide the care to them. And they should know where their money is being utilized. And if I am so chosen, then I will be one of those folks that are always approachable and will get them answers as soon as I can get them for them. I think that as a whole, we as humans don't typically ask enough questions about a lot of things in life.
And I think that we should. We shouldn't just go with the flow while everything's working. I think that everybody should be able to ask questions, and questions, even if they're hard questions, questions can make things better.
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Ty Clock’s dad and mom are both EMTs, and his dad is a fire chief. Ty joined the fire department as a sophomore at Hotchkiss High School and became an EMT when he was a senior.
TY CLOCK : I did not want to have a career where it's the same thing every day. I enjoy having to critically think. I enjoy the fast pace of it. But I also enjoy the slow parts, getting to hold an older man or woman's hand during their last moments and just give them comfort.
One of the things I'd like to change is response times. Currently, EMS providers respond to the station, get the ambulance and then go to a call. And I'd like to have crews at the stations more often throughout the day. The next thing is the QRVs that you see driving around by the ALS, Advanced Life Support folks. That’s Quick Response Vehicles, it's those nice vehicles that they have with the lights and sirens that drive around. They actually do not have the advanced life support equipment in them. And so if someone's having a heart attack or having a seizure or need pain medicine, currently people in the North Fork Valley have to wait for the ambulance to get on scene to bring that equipment.
There was a fatality out on Matthews Lane back in December and some of the changes that I'm actually wanting is because of that. And I left them a letter, left them my email and my phone number, and I have never gotten a response from any of the board members regarding it and so that was kind of the point where I was like I want to change things I want to be more transparent with the public you know hey you're heard your opinion matters.
MARTY DURLIN: Do you feel that it could have not been a fatality had something gone differently?
CLOCK: Yes. So specifically having the this advanced life support equipment. And additionally we had to wait 15 minutes for a North Fork EMS provider to get on scene and 19 minutes for an ambulance to get on scene. With that call I did not feel that was acceptable.
DURLIN: And what is the most important reason people should vote for you?
CLOCK: I have the experience between numerous EMS agencies as I've gone off to college and worked elsewhere and also in the US Army. I've seen many different agencies. And I have seen what works and what doesn't. And I want to bring that to our ambulance district here in the North Fork Valley.
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Mychaela Belden grew up in Colbran and joined her dad and brother as a fire fighter before realizing she was much more interested in emergency medicine. She moved to the North Fork in 2020.
MYCHAELA BELDEN: I think they need somebody in there with some EMS experience and I think there needs to be somebody approachable on the board so if the crews want somebody that can relate to the challenges of working this job there approachable on the board. So if the crews want somebody that can relate to the challenges of working this job, there's somebody on the board who understands that.
People had heard that I was running for the board, but I hadn't decided yet. And then a crew member came up to me and gave me a hug and said, thank you so much for running and thank you for standing up for us. And at that time I was like oh man now I really do need to do this. I feel like they really do need a voice to help advocate for the crews.
I don't make decisions from shooting off the hip. I like to see the whole picture and sometimes that means that maybe a concern is brought to me or an issue and it's like, all right I'm gonna give this pause for a minute. I want to hear your perspective I want to look at all of the moving pieces to this before I give you an answer. If elected the board is a big responsibility and I am willing to adjust my life accordingly to make sure that I'm available to do that to the best of my ability because I think this community is so important and I want to make sure that we are taking really good care of the folks who do this really difficult job so they can take really good care of my family or me when I have an emergency.
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To hear part one of this report, featuring incumbents Dan Miller, Marcus Roeder and Peter Pruett, visit kvnf.org. The election takes place May 6th.
