EMS Response Frequently Asked Questions
Our Goal: The Right Patient to the Right Facility in the Right Time with the Right Transportation and at the Right Cost
Emergency Response:
1. What are the levels of certification of the responding crew? The crew responding to your emergency consists of a Paramedic and two other responders who may be a combination of an Advanced EMT, EMT and/or EMR (Emergency Medical Responder).
Paramedics receive extensive training in patient assessment, treatment, cardiology, emergency medications, intravenous fluid administration, pediatric emergencies, advanced airway management and can manage all aspects of a pre-hospital medical or trauma emergency.
AEMTs serve as a back up to ALS. AEMTs can provide extensive pre-hospital emergency care including; defibrillation, intravenous therapy, delivery of 5 life saving medications, advanced airway management and pediatric emergencies.
EMTs have training in emergency medical assessment, treatment and can provide a variety of life saving treatments and medications.
EMRs have training in emergency medical assessment, treatment and support EMS operations and patient care.
2. Are the stations staffed 24 hours? No. The stations are not staffed 24 hours, there is a crew on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. After hours the on-call crew responds from their residence. The on-call Paramedic has a quick response aid vehicle, and they live in strategic locations around the valley. The Paramedic will respond directly from their home and meet the ambulance crew on scene. After hours, the responders respond from their home to the ambulance station and then respond in the ambulance. On very rare occasions will a responder respond to an emergency in their private vehicle.
3. Is there a charge if you respond to an emergency and do not transport? No, there is not a charge if we don’t transport you to the hospital.
4. Who pays for the expense involved in a non-transport? The registered voters in the towns of Twisp and Winthrop and the Methow Valley Rural EMS District have passed a levy which helps support EMS in the Methow Valley. The levy funds the infrastructure that allows us to be ready to respond and removes the fear of being billed if you call the ambulance and don’t need to be transported.
5. Where do you transport patients? We are required to transport patients to the nearest facility that can care for their illness or injury. The closest hospitals are Mid Valley Hospital in Omak and Three Rivers Hospital in Brewster. The protocols, policies and procedures that govern EMS is the State of Washington do not allow us to bypass a hospital. This is for several reasons:
Medicare, Medicaid, and some insurance companies will not pay for what they consider “excess mileage”. If the nearest hospital can take care of your emergency, then the patient may be responsible for the excess mileage.
If we bypass a hospital and your condition deteriorates, and you may suffer injury as result of bypassing the hospital. For example, you may need blood products due internal hemorrhage, both local hospitals can start blood products.
If you refuse transport to the nearest hospital you will be asked to sign a refusal to help decrease our liability.
Both the hospitals in our county will begin triage and treatment and if a higher level of care is needed, they will request a transfer to the appropriate facility, either by ground or air.
Air Ambulance: If it is medically necessary, will decrease transport time to the appropriate hospital and weather conditions allow, we will request an air ambulance.
1. Which air ambulance service will respond? Life Flight https://www.lifeflight.org/ and Airlift NW https://www.uwmedicine.org/airliftnw serve our area. Life Flight has a base in Brewster and Moses Lake. If available in Brewster they are the most frequent responders to our area. If they are on a mission, we will seek the next closest which is Airlift NW in Wenatchee. Airlfit NW also has bases in Arlington and the if the incident is up on the pass and the weather allows then Airlift will respond to the emergency.
2. Which membership should I purchase? We recommend purchasing both. They are very reasonably priced. The membership includes all members of your household. Airlift NW offers a discounted rate for EMS and hospital staff. During an emergency, our highest priority is to get you to the nearest facility that can care for your emergency in the right amount of time. We will accept the air ambulance with the quickest response time. Their response times can vary from 19 minutes to over an hour pending which base they are responding from. Memberships make great gifts!
3. Will I get a bill from the air ambulance? If you are enrolled in their membership program, the air ambulance service used will bill your insurance, they will accept the insurance payment as payment in full and you will not be billed the balance.
Search and Rescue in the Methow Valley: Okanogan County Search and Rescue provides Search and Rescue in the Methow Valley. Okanogan County Search and Rescue is an all-volunteer organization who works under direction of the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office. In the event the individual is injured or sick, Aero Methow Rescue Service responds in partnership with Okanogan County Search and Rescue to initiate care and evacuation.
1. What off road rescue equipment does Aero Methow Rescue Service have?
Side by Side UTV with patient carrying capability, wheels for summer and tracks for winter
Command vehicle.
Wheeled litters
Two E- Mountain bikes for quick response on appropriate trails/locked roads.
Fortuna Rescue Raft, life vest, throw bags
Select high angle rescue ropes/helmets
Back packs and overnight supplies for extended rescues
Miscellaneous equipment: Generator, pop up tent, chain saw
Who provides helicopter hoist capabilities? Whidbey Island Naval Air Base is the most used helicopter with hoist capabilities. Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office will request the helicopter through the Washington State Emergency Operation Center.