By Brenda Starkey
Chronicle correspondent

     Dr. Giannantonio Giulliani, medical program director for Ferry County, told an emergency meeting of the county's trauma council Nov. 9 that he will not resign from his position at this time.
     He said his decision is based on progress within Republic's EMS District No. 1. He said he hopes that removal of an emergency medical technician and removal of the district's assistant task director will help things settle down.
     "I hope this is a favorable milestone," he told the council. "It was getting to the point that they just could not work together."
     Curlew does a very good job in this aspect, he added.
     Mike Lopez, of the state Department of Health, was at the meeting and answered questions about how a medical program director could be replaced and other measures that might be used.
     The medical program director is appointed by the Department of Health, Lopez said. Similarly, DOH is the only entity that can remove a medical program director.
     If a new director is needed, a letter of support from the county hospital is needed and then the candidate must pass a departmental background check.
     "I'd like to think that we will not be going down that road," Lopez said.
     A medical program director may choose a physician delegate to handle specific parts of a county. That delegate would interact with EMS personnel in the assigned area, Lopez said.
     "I believe Dr. Giulliani is right in saying there is a light at the end of the tunnel," he said.
     "I just think I was extremely encouraged by the meeting with the mayor and the commissioner (this morning). That being said, it's still Dr. Giulliani's decision as to whether he resigns or not," Lopez said.
     In addition to EMS District No. 1, the county medical program director oversees a number of local emergency agencies including the Curlew fire and EMS districts, the Republic fire district and county 911.
     Bonnie Gross, representing Curlew fire and EMS, asked Lopez who is in charge of an ambulance in the field.
     The person with the highest state certification is in charge, he said. Drivers are not state certified but EMTs and other medical personnel are.
     "If the EMT asks the driver to slow down they are obligated to slow down," he said.
     The faster the ambulance goes, the less quality patient care can be given "because you're being thrown around in the back of the ambulance," Goss said.
     Lopez agreed.
     Giulliani has the authority to say this is the minimum level of experience required in the county, Lopez said. He is authorized to have higher standards than published state standards as long as they are reasonable.
     Several members of EMS District No. 1 have expressed dissatisfaction with the medical program director's policy of requiring a year of on-the-job training for EMTs when the state only requires six months.
     "There are a lot of people who really care about emergency medical services in Ferry County," county commissioner Brad Miller told the council, saying he has heard many comments of concern when people learned the doctor was going to resign. "Things need to be under control."
     "There is a lot of passion here," Lopez said. "But it needs to be controlled."