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Archives 01-17-2001
News
Ambulance Unit Placed In Hanging
Limb
Ambulance Unit Placed In Hanging Limb
Michael Walker, EMTIV, and Shaun Hale, paramedic, show the Advanced Cardiac Life Support ambulance unit now operating in the Hanging Limb Community of Overton County.
The Overton County Ambulance Service, upon request of the Overton County Commission, has placed an Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ALS) ambulance unit in the Hanging Limb Community. Overton County Ambulance Service Director Liz Crabtree stated, "This endeavor has come to light with the guidance and cooperation of all parties associated and involved in its design." The purpose of placing an ambulance unit in the area is to decrease response times to what is commonly known as the "mountain" area, according to Crabtree. "Response times in the mountain area for an ALS ambulance unit ranged from 20 to 30 minutes," Crabtree stated. "The mountain ALS ambulance unit will cover the mountain area from its primary location, located just off of East Fork Lane, next door to the Mountain First Responders." The ALS ambulance unit and the Mountain First Responders will work hand-in-hand to help those in need within their designated coverage area, according to Crabtree. "The Overton County Ambulance Service and its employees are excited and have been overwhelmed with the support and appreciation shown to them during this implementation phase by the community." The mountain ALS ambulance unit went into operation at 7 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 11. It is staffed 24 hours a day every day of the week. In an emergency dial 911. For non-emergency calls dial 823-6401. All calls go into the 911 communications center and are dispatched to ambulance personnel accordingly, regardless of emergency or non-emergency nature. Director Crabtree expressed appreciation to County Executive Richard M. "Ossie" Mitchell and the Overton County Commission, Overton County First Responders, Mountain Volunteer Fire Department, and Overton County E-911 Director Chris Masiongale and his staff.
Overton Schools To Receive Share Of $42 Billion U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon expects Overton County school children to reap the rewards of this year's $1.6 billion federal investment to reduce class sizes by hiring new elementary school teachers. The state of Tennessee has received about $42 million during the past two years to help reduce class sizes in local school districts, a federal initiative calling for the hiring and training of 100,000 new teachers across the nation. Tennessee is expected to receive $27.1 million in federal funding this year to hire additional teachers, a 25 percent increase over last year's $21.7 million installment. Last year, Overton County schools received $83,674 in class-reduction funds. "Children are this nation's greatest asset," Gordon said. "We cannot afford to scrimp on their educations. Ensuring local schools have enough qualified teachers to help our children learn is an investment that will pay big dividends later down the road. "By reducing class size, we can provide our children with more personalized instruction and discipline, which will give them a better opportunity to excel in school and in the workforce after they graduate." In addition to the class-reduction funds - part of this year's $42 billion congressional appropriation for education programs - the Eisenhower Professional Development State Grants program is slated to dole out $485 million in teacher training funds to nearly 15,000 school districts, including Overton County. Money from the program is designated to help school systems reduce the number of uncertified teachers and educators not trained in the subjects they are teaching. Last year Tennessee received $5.8 million for its share of the Eisenhower Professional Development State Grants money, with Overton County schools getting $14,737 of the federal funding. The state is expected to receive $7.4 million for its share of the Eisenhower program money this year, which represents a nearly 28 percent increase in funding over last year's level. "Improving the skills of our teachers can only help our children become better students," Gordon said. "We cannot expect our children to compete in today's dynamic job market without the right skills. We need to make sure those teachers have the necessary skills, as well. "Our children, after all, deserve an education second to none."
Overton County News
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