SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Fire Board invited EMS and Trauma Systems Section Supervisor for the state of Montana Jim DeTienne to review the current progress of the department and speak about some of the district concerns regarding other professional licensed medical providers that continue to undermine and discredit the department’s efforts moving forward. He spoke at a special board meeting March 29.
During public comment, retired Police Chief from New Jersey and past maintenance worker for the Seeley Lake Rural Fire District Doug Waldron spoke in 100 percent support of the department, board and interim Chief Michael Greer.
“It’s just a shame that a few people, very, very few in this town, are trying to undermine everything that you people are trying to do here,” said Waldron. “I don’t know what can be done with them but if you keep up with what you are doing, I think they are just going to get tired and let it go. I’m behind you and I talk to a lot of other people who are behind this department.”
Seeley Lake resident Al Rogers added that he was also there to support the department in anyway he could.
Board Chair Scott Kennedy said in an effort at full disclosure, there was a report made to the state that the Seeley Lake Rural Fire District was double dipping on EMT training hours.
“That is absurd and is false,” said Board Chair Scott Kennedy.
Greer explained that the complaint was made following the 24 hour EMS refresher. The accusation was those who took the training reported it as their refresher and continuing education hours required to maintain their license.
Greer said what actually happened was those who had already attended a refresher reported the training time towards their continuing education hours. Those who still needed the refresher reported it as their required two-year refresher. It was not the same EMT reporting both.
DeTienne said that after reviewing the training, upgrades to policies and member engagement, they have accomplished more in the past couple of months than some departments accomplish all year. He did not have any recommendations for improvement.
“If I could see this for every EMS department in the state I would be really pleased,” said DeTienne. “A lot of them are really struggling just to do what they have to do every day to be competent and take care of patients. Keep doing what you are doing. When you get a new chief you have built a good foundation. Doing these things makes departments successful.”
Kennedy brought up what he said was gossip, false statements and the use of social media inappropriately to attack and undermine the department and individuals on the department.
“This is unprofessional conduct and unethical against other professional licensees perhaps violating Montana Statue Privacy and Communications that prohibits such actions,” said Kennedy.
“Everything I’m seeing is really unnecessary and unprofessional conduct especially if they are licensed,” said DeTienne. “It is not appropriate for anyone to act this way especially for someone that is licensed by the State Board of Medical Examiners to take care of patients.”
DeTienne sympathized with the board. He told them to take the high road, continue doing what they are doing and keep informing the public of what they are doing.
“Your job is to take care of patients. If it gets worse, if there are places where they step over the line there are some things like filing a complaint with the Board of Medical Examiners [for unprofessional conduct] for their license. This again just takes their license, it doesn’t take away their voice. If there is anything worse than that, then you have legal representation to tell you whether is should be done legally or civilly or whatever.”
Board member Connie Clark said that unfortunately the people undermining the department were “repeatedly invited here to the table but nobody came.”
“If they don’t, then there is nothing you can do,” said DeTienne. DeTienne said he is always willing to listen to both sides and could serve as a neutral intermediary with both sides at the table if that would be helpful.
DeTienne can be reached at jdetienne@mt.gov or call 406-444-3895 or 406-444-4460.
In other business:
• The board unanimously approved Policy 540: Workplace Discrimination & Harassment. This includes the board members taking the supervisory Harassment training annually. It is an hour and a half long video that will keep them the up-to-date on the rules and regulations surrounding harassment in the workplace. Greer recommended the supervisor training since they supervise the chief.
• Greer asked for the board’s blessing on the Standard Operating Guidelines (SOG). He would like the board to review them and make comments but a vote is not required from the board for implementation. Only the chief’s signature is needed. The board will review the Exposure Control Plan, Member Organization SOG and Harassment Free Workplace and bring comments to the next meeting. The Member Organization SOG has been reviewed and approved by the district volunteers.
• There are still 38 pending SOGs to be completed. Greer looks forward to involving the new Chief Dave Lane on the sections that require a lot of membership discussion.
The next regularly scheduled board meeting is April 17 at 6 p.m. at the Fire Hall. For the agenda and any special meeting notices visit http://www.seeleyfire.org.
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