Bear Lake Brawl Controversy

Bobbie Bicknell Coray

Rich Civic Times

RANDOLPH, Utah.  November 4, 2015.   Joseph Coles, Bear Lake Brawl Triathalon, came to report on this year’s Triathalon.  This is a swim, bike and run race held near Bear Lake.  Commissioner Tom Weston said that there had been some hard feelings with the local EMT volunteers who had been requested to spend as much as 14 hours sitting around.   They were not paid and had to give up their time at their places of work. 

The Triathalon had a person over safety who was an EMT, who was to act as safety liason.  However, there was a communication breakdown with the Rich Ambulance and the BLB Triathalon personel.  He acted as safety liaison.   But he “ruffled feathers” when he said that he was in charge of all EMT as Rich County has to take the liability for all actions.  Coles said he was new and eager and overstepped his bounds.  He asserted that there needs to be layers of safety, but that there needs to be better coordination.  He said he was unaware that they were volunteers.  He had paid the county for the ambulance time and thought the EMT would be paid too.

EMT need to be onsite for the swim portion, but perhaps the ambulance could be “on call” for the rest of the race.  Commissioner Tom Weston said that some of the EMT felt that they were just standing around.  Kim Wilson, EMT, believed that the race’s EMT was in charge and that was contrary to the way they wanted to do it because of liability issues. With only three ambulances it puts a strain on the system.

Cole said that 300 people participated in the race the first week and 150 the second week and that he felt that things went well with the race.  Next year he will look at paying EMT personnel.  He was told to coordinate with them for the ambulance use.  The dates for next year’s race are September 10  and September 17.