Did you know approximately 40 percent of Idaho’s emergency medical services (EMS) providers are volunteers?
That’s right. And in rural areas, that number jumps to 70 percent.
These nearly 2,000 men and women take time out of their personal lives to be first responders.
They leave dinner hot on the table, hang up the phone mid-conversation, stop what they’re doing, and help. Often, they’re responding to crashes on the road.
Carrie Wiss is an Advanced EMT and Assistant Chief of the Wilderness Ranch Fire Protection District in Boise County. She joined the EMS because she saw the need for emergency medical responders, particularly as more people moved to the area.
We sat down with Carrie to discuss her experience, what it’s like to respond to a crash, and how we can make her and her team’s job easier by keeping Idaho roads safe.
A Q&A with Carrie Wiss
What is it like for you and your crew when a crash occurs? Walk me through the process.
Well, some of us are at home, so we’re in the middle of doing whatever it is we’re doing. Which is inevitably five minutes away from dinner time. We’re working in our yards, we’re working in our kitchens, we’re doing whatever it is that we happen to be doing at home. Those who are at the ambulance station are ready and waiting.
First, we need to know the nature of the call. Is it a medical call? Is it a car crash? Where is it? How do we get there? Could a truck like this get someplace where perhaps the ambulance can’t go?
We need to make sure we can get the patients into the ambulance, transport them, and get them either to an intercept along Highway 21 with an ALS crew or all the way into town. There are a lot of moving parts to getting this together and coordinating who needs to be where and at what time.
How long does it take for EMS first responders to arrive?
The response times can vary from just a few minutes in a place like Idaho City to well over an hour, depending on how remotely the crash occurs.
From the time a crash is discovered to someone able to get to cell service or a 901 phone and call in the crash, and then being able to precisely locate where it occurred, and the EMS crews going out and finding the crash— it can take well over an hour.
When we’re on the scene of a major trauma, we try to spend less than seven minutes on the scene. Again, out here, that may be the time it takes us to package the patients, get them into the ambulance, and deliver them to a helicopter. Time is absolutely of the essence.
“We all want to get where we're going safely. And sometimes, that just takes a moment to be aware of what you're doing—to slow down, be safe, and be considerate to others.”
What are some current challenges in your role as a first responder?
There aren’t enough of us out here to meet the demand for emergency responders. We have a lot more people who have moved out here, and we have a lot more people coming up here [Boise County] on the weekends, Thursday through Sunday.
They’re coming out here for all the recreation that this area provides. But they’re also getting into crashes, getting ill, and just needing emergency medical response more than they did in years past.
Many people come out here to party and have a good time. Why is it important to have a designated driver?
Designated drivers are incredibly important. In rural areas, these dirt roads are curvy, bumpy, and single-lane, with vehicles coming the other way. So you need to have your wits about you.
I know it’s fun to come out here. But having somebody who remains sober is important so that everybody gets home safely and buckled up.
We’re all trying to get where we’re trying to get, and everybody has the goal of actually getting there safely without getting in a crash.
How much of a difference does it make if someone decides to wear their seatbelt?
Oh, it makes an incredible difference. Over the years since I’ve started doing this, I’ve seen many more people survive a pretty gnarly crash. And a lot of that has to do with seatbelts. Absolutely.
A seatbelt will keep you in place and in your vehicle. One of the trauma indicators that we look at is whether anybody was thrown out of the vehicle. Out here on these steep roads, it’s very easy for someone to get thrown out of a car. So, if everyone is inside, they’re going to be safer. In all likelihood, they’re going to survive.
If there was one thing you could share with someone coming to this area that would help you guys as volunteers, what would you ask them to do?
Take your time, relax, and be aware that you’re not the only people out here.
People come out here because they live here, and they’re going home at the end of a long day. Or they’re coming out here to have fun over the weekend. But we all want to get where we’re going safely. And sometimes, that just takes a moment to be aware of what you’re doing—to slow down, be safe, and be considerate to others.
Carrie’s top 3 tips for keeping Idaho roads safe (and helping her team enjoy their dinner)
So, how do we make Carrie and the 2,000 volunteer EMS responders’ lives a little easier?
Here are three things you can do:
- Wear your seatbelt.
- Seat belts reduce the risk of death by 45% and the risk of serious injury by 50% (NHTSA). In Carrie’s words—you’re way more likely to survive a gnarly crash when you buckle up.
- Always plan a sober ride home.
- Fifty-one percent of fatal crashes in Idaho in 2022 were because someone was driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. Planning a designated driver is a life-saving decision.
- Slow down, enjoy the drive
- It’s not worth road rage, speeding, tailgating, or passing on the double yellows. Like Carrie said, we’re all trying to get where we’re going—and get there safely.
