VIENNA — The Maries-Osage Ambulance District (MOAD) Board at its May 12 meeting adopted a policy outlining how employees should address patients wishing to bring service animals on ambulances.

Developing a service animal policy has been a priority for the board over the last few months. Questions about whether animals could be permitted on the district’s ambulances arose after a patient requested to bring their service animal with them and the crew was uncertain about how to proceed.

The policy defines a service animal as “any guide dog, signal dog or other animal individually trained to aid an individual with a disability,” per the Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines. The definition may include, but is not limited to, any breed or size of dog as well as other animals such as birds, primates and ponies.

Under the policy, MOAD employees may ask if an animal is a service animal, if an animal has legal allowances or if the patient requires the service animal because of a disability. The employees may not ask about the nature or extent of the patient’s disability unless it relates to their care.

The policy allows for service animals to ride in ambulances under certain conditions. When this occurs, crews are to ensure they make every effort to make it safe for the patient, the animal and the crew. If possible, the animal should be secured to lower the risk of injury to the animal or the crew during transport. The patient must provide a crate, cage or specialty carrier for the ambulance to be transported in the ambulance, and the crew must secure it with a seatbelt or passenger restraints.

According to the policy, certain situations may prevent an animal from being transported with a patient. If that occurs, effort should be made to ensure safe care and transportation of the animal by other means, such as a patient’s family. The crews should notify the receiving facility of the service animal’s presence as part of the patient report.

The policy also allows employees to exclude an animal from transport if it is a potential threat to the health or safety of anyone involved in the response, regardless of the animal’s purpose.

Also during the meeting, MOAD Administrator Carla Butler updated the board about changes to the district’s CPR instruction. She and another employee had obtained certification to become American Heart Association CPR instructors instead of renewing their American Red Cross certification.

Butler also said she had purchased wrist monitors to measure compression rates while practicing CPR with a manikin. The total for 10 of the devices was just over $400.

The ambulances received oil changes, and one got new tires.

The district’s expenses in April totaled $42,741.45 compared to $52,424.44 in monthly income. The net income for the month was $9,332.26.

MOAD responded to 58 service calls in April. Of those calls, 52 occurred in the Vienna zone with two life-threatening emergencies, 35 urgent emergencies and 15 dry-run emergencies. The Freeburg zone had six calls with three urgent emergencies and three dry-run emergencies.

National EMS Week began on May 18 and continues through May 24.

Recent events that MOAD crews attended included blood pressure checks at the Vienna Senior Center, a demolition derby in Vienna, a car show in Freeburg, a 5K run in Argyle and CPR training with the Meta Fire Protection District. Crews plan to attend two tractor pulls in Vienna in June.