EMS/Ambulance
The LLBO started an ambulance service in 1979 and received licensure by the State of Minnesota Emergemcy Medical Services Regulatory Board. The ambulance service has maintained the licensure since that time through biannual inspection of the ambulance units and records.
All staff employed with the Ambulance Service must maintain a state or national certification as Emergency Medical Technicians. Re-certification is required by the State EMSRB every two years.
The employees were volunteer and paid a stipend of $3.00 per hour until 1996, when they were hired as part-time employees at minimum wage. Currently the EMT staff are paid $9.25 per hour starting pay.
The Primary Service are for the Ambulance Service is approximately 600 square miles covering most of the Leech Lake Reservation. The State EMSRB assigns our service area and we service anyone within or Primary Service Area (PSA). The Ambulance Service operates with two GSA leased ambulances 24-7. The current call volume for our ambulance service is 1100 calls/patient contacts for the year 2005.
The Ambulance Service is a basic life support unit with advanced life support variances and protocols. We provide some medications through a Variance with the State EMSRB. Our staff are also trained in the use of advanced airway,Defibrillation, and Intravenous Infusion (IV).
The ambulance personnel must attend training in CPR, defensive driving for ambulances, medication administration, defibrillation, airway, 24 hour refresher as EMT, BLS skills, bloodborne & airborne pathogens, privacy and confidentiality, ALS protocols, SOP and protocol, just to name a few.
The ambulance Service provides medical coverage for many community events such as Pow-wows, sporting events, elder activities, fishing, boxing, etc. The Ambulance Service also provides EMS education to schools and community members and ambulance tours to high school and elementary students.