The Athens County Commissioners signed an agreement with O'Bleness Memorial Hospital yesterday stating the county and the hospital are responsible for providing a decontamination trailer-, a movable base to protect people from contaminants.
The trailer will provide protection for the southern Ohio region in case of a major contamination, such as a toxic spill, said Jim Schulz, emergency preparedness committee chair for O'Bleness. The main focus will be protecting Athens County, specifically O'Bleness, its patients and staff, he said.
The trailer and all of the equipment will cost about $40,000 and will be paid for with homeland-security money issued through the Ohio Hospital Association, Schulz said.
Athens County will be responsible for dispatching the trailer and will cover the cost of insurance, $16,000 for the trailer and $63,000 for the equipment stored in it, said Lenny Eliason, an Athens County commissioner.
O'Bleness will be responsible for maintaining the trailer and replenishing supplies, Schulz said. Because of funding issues, he is concerned the hospital will not be able to replenish supplies once they are used, he said. Should more supplies be needed, Schulz said he hoped Federal Emergency Management Agency money would be available to cover the additional costs.
The trailer is on a lot in Southern Ohio and most of the equipment is at O'Bleness. Before the trailer can be brought to O'Bleness, its chief executive officer must sign the agreement. After that the trailer must be stocked and people must be trained to use it before it is operational, Schulz said. He said the trailer should be operational soon.
I want to express from the hospital's point of view that we are elated
he said. He said the trailer includes quite a few pieces of equipment that we could not provide ourselves.
Also at the meeting, the commissioners approved an increase in pay scale for the Athens County Job and Family Services nurse supervisor. The increase is from $19 to $23 an hour. The nurse supervisor - who is in charge of seven staff members, including four registered nurses - is in the 25th percentile of pay in the state, said Jack Frech, director of the Athens County Department of Job and Family services. 17
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