BOURBON - The Bourbon Emergency Medical Service will benefit from a fund-raiser this spring sponsored by one of the town's newest businesses.

EMS board president Ken Cretcher told the board Monday that the owners of Bourbon Street Motorcycles are planning a grand opening celebration for June 7 and would like EMS personnel to hold a chicken barbecue that day, with proceeds going to the EMS. Cretcher said the service needs a new base radio and the cycle shop owners agreed that would be the goal of the project.

EMS personnel will sell advance tickets as well as at the barbecue. Tickets may be purchased from any emergency medical technician.

Cretcher said an open house for the new EMS building is being planned for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 24 in conjunction with Statewide EMS Week, May 18-24. Members of the all-volunteer service will show visitors around the building, explain equipment used and serve refreshments.

In other business:

• A few citizens have expressed interest in becoming certified in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Cretcher said it was difficult to find instructors but the service planned to have at least two members trained to teach the life-saving technique and will perhaps be ready to organize a class later in the fall. "CPR is important; it buys time," he said.

• The board discussed bids for repairing the roof on the EMS building. The two bids received differed in materials to be used and councilman Ken Workman asked that Cretcher contact the roofers and ask that they quote the work using the same materials.

• Vice president LeeAnn Cretcher reported both ambulances passed inspection by a state EMS official.

• Cretcher also reported vandalism to a stone planter in front of the building where a large piece of stone had been removed. She suspected young people roller blading on the parking lot may have had something to do with the stone as it was propped up for use as a ramp. The police department will be asked to patrol that area more frequently. [[In-content Ad]]