Page Title

MEETING NOTICE...The next meeting of the SCREMSC will be held on Tuesday October 7th at 1:00 p.m. The meeting place is the SC Office of Rural Health located at 107 Saluda Pointe Drive in Lexington, SC, near I-20 and Hwy 378. During the meeting, coffee and desert will be served. All are welcome.

New Meeting Plan

SCREMSC will begin holding it’s general membership meetings quarterly beginning on October 7, 2008. The meetings will remain at the SC Office of Rural Health in Lexington and will be open to anyone interested. Additionally, all members will be given a special phone number that they can call to attend the meeting electronically! They will be able to hear and speak over their phone connection much like a conference call. Meetings will be held in January, April, July and October. The board of directors will continue to meet as required to conduct business between general membership meetings.

The possibility of holding the April meeting at the SC EMS Symposia is being considered.

Timmonsville Rescue Wins Service of the Year Honors

Congratulations to the Timmonsville Rescue Squad for recently being named as the South Carolina EMS Service of the Year. This small squad near Florence is one of the best run EMS agencies we have ever seen and they surely do deserve the honor.

More Trauma Ahead?

With the price of gasoline approaching four bucks, it should be no surprise that motorcycle sales and usage are increasing nationwide. The number of motorcycle accidents is sure to climb as drivers seek alternative, less expensive transportation. States like South Carolina with weak helmet laws will undoubtedly see more head related deaths and injuries in the coming months.

Trauma Grant Funding Reduced

Last year, the 15 counties with the highest trauma fatality rates in the state each received $40,000.00 from the EMS portion of the Trauma Act. Due to reduced funding and a change in the proviso percentage split between the counties with high mortality rates and the four regional EMS councils, only ten counties will be funded at $20,000.00. The regional councils will receive a larger percentage of the available funds. It is a shame that funds will be cut to rural areas with identified needs for mitigation. (see more in the latest issue of E-news)

SCREMSC Executive Director, Bill Minikiewicz was honored at the 12th annual SC Rural Health Association Conference held in Columbia on April 25, 2008. Minikiewicz received the Presidents Award of Merit at the conference. In presenting the award, Dr. Graham Adams cited Minikiewicz’s long history of supporting and promoting EMS in South Carolina’s most rural areas and as having been one of the original board members of the Rural Health Association.

03/03/08...SCREMSC officially organized. Officers / board elected and bylaws approved