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NRAD
finding comfort in new digs on Hwy. 92
by
Jalana Robinson
Landmark reporter
The
crew of the Northland Re-gional Ambulance District is
settling into a new home with a lot more space and commodities
along Hwy. 92 near Eggen's Hardware in Platte City.
The
NRAD operation officially moved out of its downtown Platte
City location on Friday and relocated into a spacious
4,800 square foot building that includes a three part
garage, three bedrooms, a living area, kitchen area, two
offices and one large main office.
"It's
nice to be out of downtown and have the space," said
office manager Cheryl Youtsey.
NRAD
Executive Director Bill Bishop said the relocation project
had been an idea since April of 1997 and really started
to unfold in April of 2000.
"We
did not have to go to the taxpayers for more money to
do it," said Bishop, and that's something of which
he's really proud.
According
to Bishop, land developer Bill Mann, donated half the
cost of the land to the ambulance district, making their
price for the land about $160,000 rather than a full $300,000.
Bishop
said that they could not have built the building on the
location with the funds they had without the donation,
especially since the building itself cost approximately
$430,000.
"It's
a super facility," Bishop said. "We were a traffic
hazard in downtown Platte City."
He
said that NRAD had been located on Main Street since Sept.
1, 1994. At that time it was going to be temporary headquarters,
but temporary turned into permanent.
Having
more room, privacy and parking are just some of the benefits
of the new location.
"It
was hard having crews work where there weren't any windows
or ventilation," said Bishop.
The
access to I-29 and 92 Hwy. for the ambulances is something
Bishop and Youtsey both recognize as one of the most important
benefits.
The
crew also has additional room to do training exercises
and hold meetings in the third garage.
Future
goals for Bishop are to provide more services.
He
believes it would be in the residents' and the district's
best interest to have staff located in northern Platte
County, and to serve portions of southern Platte County.
Kansas
City Metropolitan Ambulance Services Trust, (MAST), is
a private for profit division that currently serves parts
of southern Platte County.
Bishop
says that NRAD is a public safety department that receives
tax subsidies to provide services, so they don't have
to worry about making a profit.
Therefore,
he feels that areas such as Parkville, Weatherby Lake
and Riverside could be better served by NRAD.
According
to Bishop, all it would take to annex that portion would
be a petition and a vote.
He said that Platte County has a lot of elderly residents
on fixed incomes that have to have special payment plans
and that he is always willing to work with them because
he's not in it to make a profit.
"They
(MAST) do a tremendous job, but I think we can do better,"
Bishop said.
Centered on patient care and willingness to work with
anybody makes Bishop believe that he can do better.
Currently
NRAD has 12 full-time employees and 10 to 12 part-time
employees; two ambulances in its new facility in Platte
City; and two ambulances in Smithville that can respond
to 340 square miles of Platte County.
"We're
people helping people, that's our mission," said
Bishop.
Bishop
said that right now everything is going as scheduled,
if not a little ahead of schedule.
To save confusion all the phone numbers have remained
the same at the new location.
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