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** Wisconsin EMT arrested for allegedly stealing drugs from his ambulance service

** Ontario community paramedic program helping vulnerable seniors

** A part time EMT from Wisconsin has been charged with stealing drugs from his ambulance service. The News Republic (Tim Damos/November 8) said Baraboo District Ambulance Service medic Jason M. Ramker, 39, faces tags including misdemeanor theft and felony drug possession. According to the newspaper, Ramker was arrested Thursday after EMS officials noticed four missing Dilaudid vials late last month. Footage from a hidden camera attached to the medication cabinet allegedly captured him opening the unit and removing needles. Ramker told police he replaced the meds in the syringes with saline. He was fired from his job following his arrest and remains out of jail on a $2,400 signature bond. His next court appearance is December 5th.

** An Ontario program aimed at cutting unnecessary emergency calls from seniors has cut such responses in half. That is the word from the CBC (Sarah Bridge/November 6) which said the initiative in Deep River began some five years ago and involves regular home checks of the vulnerable elderly. According to the news site, medics check in on some 32 people, with practitioners overseeing the patient’s general health, eating habits, and exercise routines. The regularly scheduled visits not only prevent some seniors from requiring nursing home or hospital care, they also reduce long term institutionalization costs. County of Renfrew paramedic Michael Nolan said the program costs the EMS budget about $75,000 annually.