Atlas Twp.- The Township fire department has been placed on probation following a failure to properly submit medical reports.
Township fire chief James Naugler said the probation is a miscommunication with the Genesee County Medical Control Authority. Naugler said he had not received warning of reports, which say officials, were filed in an inappropriate manner.
Naugler was surprised by the action.
The reports in question are documents filled out by the fire department when they go out on emergency calls.
‘Whenever the fire deptartment goes out on a run, they’re responsible for completeing a patient contact record,? said Bruce Trevithick, executive director of the GCMCA.
‘Every month they are supposed to submit all of those run records as well as a summary sheet.?
‘I wasn’t happy,? Naugler said. ‘I wasn’t aware I was late until I got the probation.?
Naugler said he asked Trevithick why he never recieved a phone call or a letter warning him about the impending probation. After investigating the situation, Naugler said Trevithick admitted to a miscommuication and a faliure on the part of the medical control authority to notify him.
Trevuthick disagreed, saying he had communicated the situation to Naugler.
‘This has been an issue with their agency for quite some time,? said Trevuthick.
Trevuthick said he first contacted Naugler about the problem in July 2004, following four months of late reports.. He said Naugler was asked at that time to submit a written corrective action plan, detailing how he would right the situation. Trevuthick said Naugler failed to file the plan and problems with filing reports on time continued.
‘We did not see any improvements,? said Trevuthick.
Trevuthick said the GCMCA requested to again meet with Naugler about the problem in November 2004. He said that meeting did not take place until February of 2005, at which time Trevuthick said Naugler assured them the situation would be corrected.
Trevuthick said Naugler then failed to file reports on time in March, June, July, August September and October of 2005.
It was at that point, said Trevuthick, that a committee was notified of the problem. The committee then brought the issue before the board, making a recommendation of probation.
Naugler said the problem stems from a policy change that went into effect in February of 2005 requiring the fire department to drop off reports in Flint rather than faxing or mailing them.
‘I don’t understand why we can’t mail it?? Naugler said.
For him, the procedure is frustrating because of the cost of paying someone to transport the forms as well as not having that employee at the disposal of the fire department. He also expressed concern for any employee making the trip in inclement weather.
A cost of $15 an hour to deliver the information was cited in a Feb.20 Atlas Township Board meeting at which Naugler addressed the situation.
‘If they expect us to pay somebody by the hour (to take the reports to Flint)…I’ve got news for them, they’ve got another thing coming,? said Paul Amman, Atlas Township supervisor, during Monday’s township meeting.
Trevuthick said there is no such policy.
‘We changed our policy as far as faxing but they can mail them as long as they are here by the fifteenth of the month,? said Trevuthick.
Naugler said the probation was a warning to ‘get your reports in on the fifteenth of each month.?
‘What it means is its a step in the disciplinary process,? said Trevuthick.
If that warning is not complied with, Naugler said he would stand to have his Medical First Responder (MFR) license suspended.
‘If the problem is not corrected in six months, they could not be able to operate in Genesee County,? said Trevuthick.
Niether he nor Naugler believe it will come to that.