Bamberg County
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SOUTH CAROLINA
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| PROJECT CHARACTERISTICS |
PROGRAM AREA(S) |
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Strong self-sufficiency |
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Emergency Medical Services |
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Citizen involvement |
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| TYPE OF JURISDICTION |
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County |
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| TARGETED POPULATION(S) |
JURISDICTION SIZE |
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High School Students |
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16,902 |
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Volunteer Firefighters |
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PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
Bamberg County, South Carolina is a rural area with limited resources to
support rapid emergency medical services (EMS). As a result, a significant
portion of the county's population has little or no access to timely emergency
medical care. The two existing rescue squad units and the Bamberg County
EMS are situated in the northern part of the county. Residents of southern
Bamberg County are therefore at a disadvantage in receiving rapid emergency
response. Lack of adequate personnel, training and equipment also contributes
to slower response times. During 1995 the average emergency response time
for the southern portion of Bamberg County was 20 minutes; much longer than
the national requirement of 8 minutes.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
In order to reduce the rate of morbidity and mortality associated with inadequate
emergency medical services in southern Bamberg County, the Bamberg County
EMS committed to:
- Develop and implement a countywide First Responder Program
- Provide training in occupant protection to county residents through
school- and community-based programs
- Conduct a public education and awareness campaign
- Ensure rapid response and emergency medical care to all county residents
regardless of geographic location
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
The Bamberg County EMS project was carried out in two phases. The initial
phase centered on a public information and awareness campaign whose aim
was to save lives countywide. A Volunteer First Responder training program
was developed and implemented at Bamberg-Ehrhart High School to train students
16 and older in how to arrive at a crash scene and provide interim care
to injured individuals. Students used two- way radio communications to alert
county EMS units to crash locations, and for assistance in administering
interim care. Each volunteer also carried trauma and airway management supplies.
The second phase of the project focused on educating county residents on
occupant protection issues. Training on the importance and use of safety
belts, child safety seats, air bags and helmets was provided during Prom
Week demonstrations, health fairs, festivals, EMS Week and various other
civic events.
RESULTS
A total of 55 Volunteer First Responders were trained to administer
interim care to crash victims during 1996. With the help of these volunteers,
initial response time to EMS calls was reduced from 20 minutes to 10 minutes
in the southern part of Bamberg County. Since the volunteers reside throughout
the county and are familiar with the population and local roads, their assistance
has been invaluable in pinpointing crash locations and providing injury
care before an ambulance arrives.
In addition to the Volunteer First Responders sessions, Bamberg County EMS
also conducted three occupant protection training programs for groups of
county residents during 1996. |
| FUNDING |
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Section 402: |
$4,886 |
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Local: |
$545 |
| CONTACT |
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Butchie L. Ginn
Bamberg County EMS
P.O. Box 119
Bamberg, SC 29003
(803) 254-1444 |
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| National Highway Traffic Safety Administration |
Spring 1997 |
