By Paula Pyzik Scott

The June 13 Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting gave guests an opportunity to meet new EMS Chief Noah Babcock, catch up with Chamber activities such as fundraising for the August 5 fireworks and hear a smattering of planned and impromptu announcements from attendees. Meeting take-aways included:

CHAMBER

Director Jim Enneking encouraged members to post calendars and Facebook items online and to directly add items to the chamber calendar HERE.

He also announced a June 19 Downtown Art Walk from noon-5:00 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to seek out the ten participating shops and then stick around for dinner and Music at the Gazebo at 7:00 p.m.

The entire Music at the Gazebo series will be underwritten by GROB Systems of Bluffton.

Two new members were announced: Bluffton Art Company and The Wailing Onion food truck.

MEMBERS

Member announcements included Melinda Bowden’s report that PromoHits is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Blanchard Valley Health Systems shared that Pediatric Associates of Northwest Ohio is now a vaccine center. Ebenezer Mennonite Church announced that it will be holding a food truck night on July 2.

BLUFFTON EMS

New Bluffton EMS Chief Noah Babcock provided a program on the transition to round-the-clock staffing and renovations of the EMS station. He began by thanking the village for passing the income tax needed to fund this initiative and showed how EMS runs have dramatically increased in recent years.

Working with full-, part-time and volunteer crew members since April, average response time–from dispatch call received to ambulances out the door–has been reduced from about 9 minutes to 59 seconds.

Babcock explained how the station is staffed. Shifts are a full 24 hours and a work week is every other day for five days, then four days off.

Station renovations have been partially completed. The creation of a kitchen is still underway.

Bluffton residents will have the opportunity to meet EMS crews at the Bluffton Farmers Market on first and third Saturdays, and on Vance St. on second Saturdays, where they will provide Touch-a-Truck for children and information on preventative health measures for adults. 

Babcock also discussed training opportunities for businesses and groups including CPR and first aid classes.

SUMMER BREAK

The next BACC breakfast meeting is the second Friday in September.