Interview with Gillett Area Ambulance Service Director Tracy Ondik, Part II

As promised, here is Part II of my interview with Gillett Area Ambulance Service Director Tracy Ondik

Missed the first part? Check it out here

Interview with GAAS Director Tracy Ondik, Part II:

Q: How many people are on GAAS today?

“We currently have 25 members of varying levels of participation and capabilities. This includes full members and ancillary members ranging from Drivers, Emergency Medical Responders (EMRs) formerly known as First Responders, Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians (AEMTs). We are fortunate that 23 of our 25 members hold some sort of EMS Licensure which helps staff multiple ambulances for large incidents or simultaneous calls.”

Q: Do the squad members get paid for their time?

“Our members are compensated at an hourly rate for being “on call” and then compensated a flat rate to run a call when it comes in. Compensation is based on the level of licensure members hold. We operate an online schedule that allows our members to voluntarily sign up for “on call” hours on a monthly basis. We are legally obligated to maintain 24/7 coverage year around and our online schedule allows us to obtain that. Our administration is 100% volunteer.”

Q: If a person wanted to join the GAAS, what would he/she need to do?

“We have an application and job description online on our website www.gaasinc.com. An interested person can also call our office and leave a message requesting to pick one up. If you or anyone you know has been thinking about entering the medical field or want to earn a little extra spending money for helping their neighbor, we can probably help you do that. Holding an EMT license is a great resume builder as well. Employers love to see that. Our non-emergency phone number is (920)855-6060. Our office is not staffed with regular hours so it is best to call and leave a message with your contact information.”

Q: Would a person need to be a Gillett resident to get involved with GAAS?

“No, not at all. We have members who live throughout our coverage area. We also have ancillary members who live outside the area and stay at our station when they elect to take call time. We would love to have more folks positioned around our service area, especially in the most outlying areas. That helps us to get licensed caregivers to a person’s doorstep faster when a 911 call comes in.”

Q: Is there any financial aid for classes they may need to take?

“We have had to amend how we assist folks with class costs over the years. What we learned was that if a candidate doesn’t have some sort of financial “skin in the game” regarding class fees, they are less apt to follow through with class and quit our department in haste when they don’t obtain a license. This isn’t good for the person or our department as we are then left paying the whole tuition and never get a licensed caregiver in return. Sometimes we handle this on a case by case basis, but generally we intend to reimburse a person’s tuition in full after a two-year commitment to our department. Our northern municipalities offer the same thing to any of their residents who become members of our department and commit to two years. After the two years they receive full reimbursement of their tuition. This applies to residents of the Village of Suring and Towns of Breed, How and Maple Valley.”

Q: What kind of equipment and vehicles does the squad have for their calls?

“We have a variety of apparatus that we use to respond to various emergencies:

• 3 fully equipped Ford Ambulances, one of which is 4-wheel drive. The 4×4 is a real asset when the bad winter weather hits. One ambulance carries Jaws of Life. Ambulance unit numbers are 5051, 5052 and 5053.
• 1 Ford 4×4 Light Duty Rescue Truck equipped with Jaws of Life, hydraulic rams, cribbing, stokes basket and generator/scene lighting. This unit also carries EMS supplies and can be used to first respond as needed or treat patients at any type of scene. This unit number is 5054.

• 1 Can-Am BRP Outlander 800cc ATV with track system. This pulls our all-season rescue sled for ATV, Snowmobile and off-road rescue operations. The rescue sled was donated to us by the Gillett Sno Riders many years ago and carries a full array of trauma supplies for taking care of a patient well away from our ambulance. This rescue unit is generally pulled by Rescue Truck 5054.

• 1 Chevy Suburban First Responder Unit housed in the Suring Fire Station. This unit is equipped with supplies that will support all license levels from EMR to AEMT. First Responder Unit number is 5055.
• New to be put into service is a used golf cart for use in the various special events and standby functions that we are asked to participate throughout the year. Also new is a used Chevy Suburban for use in Fire Standby/Rehab situations and other special responses in a support role. This Suburban is not yet in service. We also hope to acquire and outfit a Rehab Trailer in the near future so we can better support fire ground operations, responder/firefighter rehab and special responses without having to take an ambulance out of service.

We support 5 area Fire Departments and provide rehab services to them based on our Oconto County MABAS Division 137 Rehab Protocols. After a fire call, it can be a very difficult thing to adequately clean and deodorize our ambulances, especially if the next call is for someone having a baby or an asthma attack. We think a Rehab Trailer will help us best support our communities in a wide array of functions.”

Q: Is the ambulance ever accepting donations from citizens-monetary or otherwise? What kind of things can people donate?

“Donations from the public are always welcome and greatly appreciated. Monetary donations are wonderful as are gifts in memoriam. Very popular are gifts of stuffed animals and kids/elderly blankets or shawls. We love to give these out to our patients to help us in giving them a personal touch when caring for them. Thank you to everyone who has donated to us in the past. We really appreciate it.”

_End of Interview_

Thank you, Tracy Ondik for taking time from your busy schedule to answer my questions!

To learn more or get in touch with Gillett Area Ambulance Service contact them at (920) 855-6060 (non-emergency), connect with them on Facebook or visit their Website (www.gaasinc.com).

Other Popular Interviews:

• Interview with GAAS Director Tracy Ondik, Part I
• Interview with Gillett Mayor James Beaton
• Interview with Gillett Alderman Josh McCarthy
• Interview with Gillett Business Owner and Community Activist Wendy Vorpahl