New Highway, Bridge Will Mean More Responsibilities For First Responders

Mills County’s interim 911 Communications Center director Larry Hurst said the extension of Highway 34 west of Interstate 29 later this fall will put additional pressure and responsibilities on emergency responders, from Pacific Junction and Glenwood.

“More pavement means there’s going to be more area to cover and increases in response times,” Hurst said. “There’s going to be a lot bigger demand for fire and rescue services once that area develops.”

Generally speaking, Hurst said, emergency calls west of Interstate 29 are the responsibility of Pacific Junction Fire and Rescue, with Glenwood Fire and Rescue covering most of the area east of the interstate and north of Highway 34. Tabor Fire and Rescue has some responsibilities near I-29 along the Mills-Fremont County line.

“Right now, we’re dual paging P.J. and Glenwood,” Hurst said. “If the call is P.J.’s, they get the call first and they let Glenwood know if assistance is needed.”

Hurst said Glenwood has similar arrangements with Malvern and Silver City.

During an address to the Glenwood City Council earlier this month, Glenwood Fire Chief Butch Fidler said he, too, expects an increase in calls for both the fire department and EMS rescue unit once the new roadway and bridge are opened.
Fidler said the fire department has already experienced an increase in calls in 2014 and he expects that number to climb even more significantly after the new stretch of Highway 34 between I-29 and the Missouri River bridge open later this fall.

In 2013, Glenwood Fire responded to 238 calls, Fidler said. As of the first week of September, the department had responded to 254 calls, including 89 that were EMS related.

“Our numbers are trending up,” Fidler said. “Once the highway and bridge open, we’re expecting that trend to continue.”

Fidler said providing coverage for the immediate Glenwood area will always be the department’s top priority.

Hurst said the level of impact the completion of the Highway 34 project has on local agencies will be determined by how fast the area along the new stretch of road develops.