Crescent Valley addresses EMS needs following EMT departures

Crescent Valley Town Advisory Board Vice Chair Jeremy Rice spoke with the Sentinel Feb. 27 and gave an optimistic update on the Crescent Valley EMS situation since the last impassioned public discussion at the town advisory board meeting on Feb. 19. 

Jenny and Eric Oakes resigned as full-time EMTs on Feb. 11 with a final service day of Feb. 25. This left the community to wrestle with serious concerns about potentially long wait times for emergency medical services. The developments highlighted a critical need for immediate solutions like housing for new EMTs and how the service is managed moving forward. 

Rice explained there are six EMT applicants, and housing is available for all of them. 

He said a lot of counties in the state are using other companies to assist with EMS shortages. “Renown has a QRV, a quick response vehicle, that they have outfitted in Tonapah and a medic or two that’s down there that they help cover the county,” he explained. InterMountain is being looked at as an alternate type of EMS program in Crescent Valley to serve as a backup to cover staff days off.

Rice met with EMS Director Nicole Cooley at the Crescent Valley Medical Services Advisory Committee meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 26 and said she has 10 years of medical experience with Nye County. He said, “We need to give her a chance, see how this is going to work. She has some good ideas. She’s happy with what I’m also looking at doing with the fire end of it. We need change, and maybe she’s gonna be that change.” Rice told Cooley he regretted losing Jenny and Eric Oakes and another volunteer, who resigned due to the Oakes’ resignation.

Jenny Oakes may come back as a volunteer. 

Asked by the Sentinel what would happen if there was a call for service now, Rice said, “We have volunteers that are still able to respond. So, between our volunteers and our mutual agreement with the mine, we have coverage.”

He continued, “9/11 is called; they’re responding.” 

Temporary housing will be provided by Dale and Diana Kersey, with the county paying for it until other options are pursued, including utilizing county-owned properties in town. One consideration is splitting a parcel in three and creating three single-wide three bedroom/two baths with small yards. Rice said he believed that will be on the commission agenda.

He thinks he’ll “finally be able to get my guys trained at the fire house at a medical level plus” so they can assist with ambulance operations. 

The training is in the new EMS budget and will be in Eureka, with a virtual classroom in Crescent Valley.