TLT Secures Advanced Life Support (ALS) Services

TLT now offers advanced life support (ALS) services to residents through our EMS department.

TORCH LAKE TOWNSHIP ACHIEVES ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT AMBULANCE STATUS

Torch Lake Township is pleased to announce that as of March 20, 2020, Advanced Life Support (ALS) is now in service for the Township residents. This is an important milestone for the Township that has taken nearly two years to achieve. The journey began in the spring of 2018 with a Township Board meeting that saw strong community support for this kind of ambulance certification and it was the full board that promoted and approved its implementation. It was found that the process would take longer than anticipated. With the departure of the Ambulance director later that year, the Board began interviewing for the replacement of the director position. The decision by the Board was made to hire, on a consulting basis, the management team of the Township Ambulance Authority (TAA) out of Mancelona and Bellaire. The Township's decision was driven by the expertise this team had in obtaining and maintaining ALS status for the nine Township Ambulance Authority. This expertise proved critical in the pursuit of the ALS license for Torch Lake Twp. Working with the Board's committee of Sharon Schultz (Treasurer) and Bob Cook (Trustee) a contract was negotiated and signed in March of 2019 and the journey continued. Through the efforts of all parties the ALS license was approved, and the township is now operating at the highest level for Ambulance services.

ALS status provides the community with the ability of Torch Lake Twp paramedics to offer advanced care in the field, including intubation, IV fluids, pain and cardio medications as well as vital heart monitoring and stabilization. These are critical services especially in cases related to heart events. The paramedics who are now functional on the Township ambulances are the highest level of pre-hospital emergency care specialists available in this state. In addition, as an ALS service provider, the Township is no longer dependent on other ALS service providers to provide transportation to the area hospitals which saves critical minutes in the effort to get patients to the hospital. The Township will continue to use North Flight and Munson Hospital ALS Service to provide paramedic backup as needed. As a result of being classified ALS, Torch Lake Twp Ambulance can now support TAA in some of their service areas should the need arrive due to the location of the ambulance station.

Overall, the elevation of the Torch Lake Twp Ambulance team to ALS status provides the community with the highest medical services available and a strategic ally to the TAA organization serving the communities nearest to Torch Lake Twp.