Recently, we had the opportunity to visit with Eddie Hales, chief of the Fire and EMS Department in Spanish Fork, with an assist from Jason Turner. Part 1 of this interview was included in last month’s edition of Serve Daily.
Chief Hales told us that nationwide, fire departments have a system of redundancy built within their resources that helps to avoid unplanned issues with their equipment, and Spanish Fork is no different. You would likely see two of everything on an incident scene if the equipment was all displayed.
Hales noted that the Emergency Medical Services has direct lines of communication with area hospitals, as well as a medical doctor that oversees all of the department’s medical procedures.
Technology has greatly improved both at the station and on the go, and Hales said that one of the most crucial tools that ambulances carry is a device that can read your EKG (an electrocardiogram) from wherever you are, at home, work, or an incident scene. He said that this is a critical tool because the information gathered by this device can be transmitted to the local cardiac department at the hospital where it is printed out and read by health professionals.
Due to this, if you were to experience a heart issue, the hospital would be preparing for your arrival and your exact circumstances even before you could arrive at their doors.
Accident Prevention
When asked specifically about the many serious crashes on Highway 6, Chief Hales said that he is well aware of the issues in that area. He noted that many of the fatalities can be unfortunately traced to sleep deprivation, speeding, and driver distraction – especially the use of cell phones while driving. Hales said that it is important for all drivers to always make sure that they are free from distractions.
“Always use your highest level of alertness, and remember, the speed limit is the upper limit, not a suggestion,” he said. “Sometimes poor weather conditions will require a downward adjustment to the posted speed limit.”
Hales suggests that anyone with an interest in becoming a volunteer firefighter, regardless of which community they live in, just reach out to their local fire department for direction in researching the opportunity to serve others.
Many fire stations are in need of volunteers, and the Spanish Fork Fire Department is no different. Hales encourages those interested to contact the department, adding that volunteer firefighting may provide the first step towards a rewarding career as a paid firefighter.
We thank Chief Eddie Hales and Jason Turner for their time and expertise, as well as the men and women who choose to serve their friends and neighbors on a daily basis as firefighters and EMS personnel in each of our communities.
