TODAY High schools to get new names - Canton Public Library

A16*(A14-fteWOc) The Observer & Eccentric! THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2000
18 communities approve funding for emergency system
BY KUBT KUBAN
STAIT WRITES
Fire chiefs from 18 Wayne
County communities have unanimously
approved becoming a
major funding arm of the Health
Emergency Medical Systems
(HEMS).
HEMS ia a non-profit organization
created in 1990 to be the
medical control authority for the
communities of the Conference of
Western Wayne (CWW), as well
as several communities in the
Downriver area.
In essence, HEMS has developed
the protocol for emergency
service, as well as coordinating
its various functions.
"When an ambulance goes by,
I wish people realized how much
coordination is involved. It is
auch a team effort," said Bob
Miljan, the executive director of
HEMS.
The fire chiefs, who are represented
by the Western Wayne
County Fire Department Mutual
funding at the April 15 CWW
meeting. , < : "
If approved by each CWW
community, the association will
annually provide $50,000 to
HEMS, which has an annual
budget of about $450,000.
The association will also be
awarded two voting seats on the
HEMS board.
"What we're looking to do is
develop a system between hospitals,
the county health depart-
Photo contest
invites entries
from students
The Wayne County .Regional
Educational Service Agency is
sponsoring its annual photography
contest for Wayne County
high school students. The theme,
"People, Places & Pride," provides
students the opportunity to
express their photographic abili-
"* ties in a variety Of subjects.
Students can submit portraits
and candid photos of family,
friends, classmates; classroom or
extracurricular activities; cultural
institutions; landmarks; community
events; trips; and more.
Photos' will be judged on human
interest, general appeal, composition
and quality.
"Our aim for the contest i£ to
provide a forum for students to
express themselves creatively
through photography and share
those talents with the community,'"
said Mich«Ile Gaynier, communications
manager for Wayne
RESA and coordinator for the
photo contest.
r -
Three winners will be selected
in each of the three categories:.
people, places and pride. First
place will receive a $100 U.S.
Savings Bond, second place winners
will receive a $50 U.S. Savings
Bond and third place winners
will receive a $25 certificate
to Borders Bookstores.
To enter, students must submit
a 3-inch-by-5-inch (or larger)
color or black and white photograph,
along with their name,
school, address and home phone
number by Monday, May 1.
Entries should be sent to the
attention of Michelle Gaynier at
Wayne RESA, 33500 Van Born
Road, PO Box 807, Wayne, MI
48184.
" The winners will be announced.
at Wayne RESA's Art Fair 11
a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, May
20, a 5454 Venoy Road, Wayne.
The winning photographs and
several honorable mentions will
bf on display during the Art
Fair. Those photos will also be
displayed throughout RESA
facilities and used in RESA's
traveling informational exhibits
and publications throughout the
coming year.
For more information, or for a
copy of the entry form, call
(734)334-1514.
Bike sale May 6
The St. Vincent de Paul Society
is holding its annual bike
sale 10 a m to 7 p.m. Saturday,
May 6 The sale will be held at
the Society's central warehouse,
24201 West Outer Drive, Melvindale.
.
About 800 bikes of all varieties
Will be for sale. Each bike is
priced at $10
All proceeds help fund the
Society of St. Vincent de Paul's
summer camps for children, food
depots and scholarship assistance
programs For more information,
call 1-877-ST VINCENT
4788-4623).
• COUNTY NEWS
ment and local fire service to
essentially seize control of the
EMS infrastructure of western
Wayne County," said Bill For*
bush, a captain with the Garden
City Fire Department.
Financial model
Representatives for the association,
including Forbush, Garden
City Fire Chief Ken Hines
and Westland Fire Chief Mark
Neal, presented a financial
model to CWW members.
According to the proposal, each
community would provide a
$1,000 flat fee. In addition, communities
also would pay either
$.055 or $.025 per capita,
depending on their fire service
transporting capabilities.
If approved by CWW communities,
the funds will be taken
directly out of each fire department's
budget.
Neal led the task force that
developed the financial model
presented to the CWW.
"Participation in HEMS ia
going to be a very important
aspect of all our communities,"
said Neal. "This is a.fair financial
model that meets the diverse
needs of each of our communities."
Association officials said it is
important to get involved with
HEMS for several reasons.
"All the fire chiefs came to the
. conclusion that if we are going to
continue to evolve in improving
medical response and medical
services for each of our communities,
we have to be directly tied
m to the decision-making process
of HEMS," Neal said.
Also, HEMS haB been experiencing
a shortfall in funding
over the past few years because
of a series of hospital closings.
Each hospital pays a $25,000
membership fee, which covers
the bulk of the budget.
2 DAYS ONLY
FRIDAY, APRIL 21SATURDAY, APRIL 22
0
AN EXTRA
regular, sale-priced, and
red-ticketed clearance items in the
store, catalog ar online:
For catalog orders, call 1-800-222-6161 and ask for Operator "Card 10."
For internet orders, go to www.jcpenney.com and
key in Card 10 when prompted for a promotional code.
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Come in. Call in. Log on.
With eight of the original 21
member hospitals closing in
recent years, HEMS is facing a
budgetary, crisis. The association
decided to get involved to
ensure the future survival and
stability of HEMS
"Without HBMS, the emergency
service in our communities
would be set back 20 years," Forbush
said.
The association is hoping to
get approval froni the CWW by
July 1: