Year Award

St. Charles County emergency communications professional selected for Public Safety Trainer of the Year Award

Brian Garms, Training and Quality Assurance Officer for the St. Charles County Emergency Communications Department, was selected for the 2020 Trainer of the Year Award by NICE Public Safety. Garms was honored as part of NICE’s annual Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP)’s Finest Awards. Winners are selected by a panel of volunteer judges from the public safety community who evaluated nominees based on accomplishments, skills, knowledge and dedication. Recipients will be recognized on a date to be determined in a special virtual awards presentation on NICE’s social media.

“I am grateful to be part of a department and public safety community that recognizes the care and effort involved with our profession,” Garms says. “It’s a reflection of the support I receive from the department as a whole and the teamwork it takes to ensure dispatchers, first responders and citizens can connect safely in emergencies.”

Garms started working with St. Charles County in January 2014 as a fire and EMS dispatcher before switching to his role as Training and Quality Assurance Officer in 2018. His duties include planning and teaching police, fire and EMS Dispatch Academies; training new hires; coordinating continuing education; and updating evaluation methods, presentations and training manuals. Garms assists with policy and procedure development and organizing training related to software updates. In addition to instructor and quality assurance certifications, Garms is certified as an Emergency Number Professional (ENP) and in the Center Manager Certification Program (CMCP).

“Brian is certainly an asset to our department and the dispatch field,” says Jeff Smith, Director of St. Charles County Emergency Communications. “This recognition showcases his dedication to his work and to sharing his expertise with others.”

Emergency Communications provides dispatching services for all fire and EMS agencies within St. Charles County, the St. Charles County Police Department, and the St. Charles County Sheriff ’s Department, and serves the community as one of six dispatching centers and 911 answering points located in the county.

Earlier in 2020, Emergency Communications was awarded Public Safety Communications Accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). It is only the third

Photo courtesy St. Charles County

Brian Garms, Training and Quality Assurance Officer for the St. Charles County Emergency Communications Department, was selected for the 2020 Trainer of the Year Award by NICE Public Safety.

public safety communications department in the St. Louis area, and the fourth in the state, to receive this prestigious accreditation. In 2018, the Department of Emergency Communications was recognized as the world’s 252nd Medical Accredited Center of Excellence (ACE) by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch. The department is one of 190 currently accredited ACE agencies recognized for exceptional use of emergency medical dispatch (EMD) protocols. Learn more about the department at sccmo.org/ EmergencyCommunications.

VETERINARY MOBILE CLINIC

Rabies (1 Year) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10 Rabies (3 Year) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20 St. Charles Co. License . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6 (Not Neutered or Spayed) . . . . . . . . . . . . . $12 DHPP (Dog Vacc) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $19 RCP (Cat Vacc) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $19 Heartworm Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $28

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City of O’Fallon launches Small Business Resiliency and Retention Fund for businesses impacted by COVID-19

The city of O’Fallon is now offering grants for small businesses located within the city limits that are adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. These funds are available as part of the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant portion of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act federal stimulus package. The funds are available to O’Fallon’s small businesses with seven to 50 employees.

The city’s Public Assistance Office will offer financial support in the form of a grant for qualified small businesses that are working to prepare for, prevent and/or respond to COVID-19. The program is intended as an infusion of funds to assist businesses in remaining in operation and retaining employees by providing funding for certain essential expenses.

“We know this year has presented our local businesses with unprecedented challenges, and our businesses have done an amazing job of continuing to make modifications and deal with the situation presented by COVID-19,” said Bill Hennessy, Mayor. “By offering this program, we hope that we can give our businesses a boost and help them continue to fight through these next few months and protect the jobs that keep our residents working.”

The program will offer up to $10,000 to a qualifying small business applicant to help cover such business expenses including, but not limited to, employee wages, inventory costs, vendor and utility bills, and rent/mortgage. The relief is targeted specifically to help small businesses with a physical commercial location within the City. Funds cannot be used if business interruption insurance or other federal COVID assistance programs have been accepted and/or used for the requested purpose.

Applications will be accepted until Oct. 16, at which point, the city’s review process will begin. Applications will be scored based on a matrix, and funds will be awarded accordingly. If funds remain available after the initial round of funding, a second round of applications may be considered. To apply, business owners may visit www. ofallon.mo.us/grants-assistance to download the application.

PLEASE RECYCLE AFTER ENJOYING THIS PAPER !

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SSM Health unveils newly-redesigned Family Birthplace in Lake Saint Louis

SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital – Lake Saint Louis recently unveiled its newly renovated Family Birthplace. With a spa-like atmosphere and an assortment of amenities, this is a new go-to destination for expecting parents. Amenities include aromatherapy, wireless speakers, nitrous oxide, hydrotherapy, labor balls, and a fully stocked complimentary refreshment station. "The first thing we did was ask for moms who had delivered here within a year to do a focus group," said Jennifer Wedner, RN, Director of Family Birthplace at SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital. Then, they listened to what the moms wanted, "For instance the bathroom has been doubled in size. It's a very nice spa-like atmosphere.”

In this newly renovated space, families can enjoy a new level of comfort while resting assured they are receiving exceptional care. The Family Birthplace at SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital is the proud recipient of the Healthgrades’ Patient Safety Excellence Award, is Baby Friendly certified, and has a four-star rating with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

The Family Birthplace supports a wide range of births from natural to high-risk and all points in between. Mothers and baby can expect to room-in together, unless medical needs arise, and will birth and recover all in the same room. Their connection to SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital provides families access to leading pediatric specialists anytime.

“Here at SSM we're going to take care of every patient just like we would for ourselves and assure they get exceptional care," said Jennifer.

For more information including tour and personal zoom, call 636-625-5318.

WHERE CAN YOU GET

Pick up a

at all 35 Dierbergs & Schnucks stores in St. Charles County and North and Northwest S t. Louis County

Home Builders Association donates $15,000 to St. Peters Senior Citizen Corporation

On behalf of the Home Builders Charitable Foundation (HBCF), 2020 HBA President Bill Wannstedt (Consort Homes) (left) presented a $15,000 donation to Frances Kern, board member and senior resident at St. Peters Senior Citizen Corporation. HBA member Joe Keipp (River City Drywall) (right) sponsored the donation request.

The donation will be used to help renovate six senior-living apart buildings at St. Peters Senior Village, an independent living facility which offers a homelike community of 52 apartments. Keipp’s company, River City Drywall, will assist in painting the inside of the apartments. The St. Peters Senior Citizen Corporation was established in 1973 to offer fair and affordable housing for low income senior citizens.

The HBA is a local trade association of more than 600 member firms representing the residential construction industry. The Home Build

Submitted photo

ers Charitable Foundation, the HBA’s charitable arm, is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing housing assistance to people or organizations with special shelter needs.