Yesterday the only hospital and emergency room in Glenn County closed, which has left the Willows Fire Department working to fill the gap.
The fire department currently responds to emergencies with limited Basic Life Support. But by next year, it plans to administer Advanced Life Support. Staff will be trained to be paramedics, and the fire engine will be able to carry the same medical equipment that’s on an ambulance.
Nate Monck, the station’s fire chief, said the hospital’s closure will put a heavy strain on local emergency responders and public safety. That includes longer ambulance response times and delays in medical services at the Glenn County Jail.
“I don’t think anybody … wanted this predicament to happen. But it has. Now it’s up to us as a community and as a team to respond to it.”- Nate Monck, Willows Fire Department chief
“It's going to be one of those things that we're not going to fully feel or see what all those impacts are, until we start living what the new reality is,” Monck said.
Despite the uncertainty, Monck said the department is preparing to take on the challenge.
“I don't think anybody, especially in this area, wanted this predicament to happen. But it has,” Monck said. “Now it's up to us as a community and as a team to respond to it.”
In the meantime, emergency patients will have to be transported more than 30 miles away to the nearest hospitals. There are two full-time ambulances and one part-time ambulance that operate in Glenn County.
U.S. Congressman Doug LaMalfa told NSPR he’s still pushing for a fix. He said he tried to attach measures to recent bills to give the hospital more time, but those efforts failed. He added he hopes to secure a legislative solution soon.
More on the hospital’s closure
