Valley County First Responders Honored

Military veterans and first responders were honored at the PRCA Rodeo during the NE Montana Fair Aug. 9 in Glasgow. Kim Martens, Valley County Dispatch Supervisor, and Kalu Jensen-Rogeness stood in the arena to be recognized for their service to the residents of Valley County in their roles as first responders.

At the Milk River Motorsports Demolition Derby Saturday, the crowd saw first responders in action as Jensen-Rogeness was part of the team that responded to an injury during the action when Alex Power suffered a head cut. First responders were on site and transported the driver to FMDH for further evaluation.

Kim Martens

Written by Kalu Jensen-Rogeness

Kim Martens is the first contact in emergent situations since 2003 for the citizens of Valley County. In 2017 Kim began the role of Dispatch Supervisor and has continued to serve Valley County in that role. Kim's service to Valley County also includes being the telecommunications training officer, the terminal agency coordinator for the criminal justice database and being certified as a Emergency Medical Dispatcher. Kim has been honored by being named the State of Montana's Dispatcher of the year in 2004 for the role she played during an emergent event as well. Kim was named the State VFW Emergency Services Representative of the Year in 2020.

Kim is the first contact and the vital component of the Emergency Response System and the first link to emergency personnel for the citizens of Valley County. Kim is the voice on the other end of the line that speaks to callers often at the worst time in their lives; rendering help to the hurt and scared until EMS, Law Enforcement or Fire can reach them. The work Kim does in her role as dispatcher goes far beyond just relaying information. She not only answers and triages these calls for help but gathers the pertinent information that emergency responders need as well as giving emergency medical aid to the caller until further help arrives. She calls upon her experience and training to decipher what needs to be done within seconds of answering the call. She meticulously performs her duties in dispatching appropriate helps as well as helping the caller do CPR, calm a crying child, reason with a suicidal patient or help deliver a baby. She is often speaking to crying or hysterical people under great distress, injured and fearful and is their "calming voice in the storm." She is masterful at handling multiple traumatic calls simultaneously and handling stressful radio incidents without fail.

Kim is an instrumental part of our Emergency Medical System. We know that we will always have the most accurate information in order to respond and perform our job when she is leading the call. It has been my absolute honor to work alongside Kim in the Emergency Response System and pride in which she does her job is beyond compare. Kim's humility in serving the people of Vally County sets an example to others of what public service really means. She never takes credit for her actions and would never consider herself deserving of recognition. 

Kalu Jensen-Rogeness

Written by Connie Wethern

Kalu has been an AEMT for 27 years and has served the community of Valley County faithfully and without hesitation in her duties. She has provided numerous hours to the people of Valley County, sacrificing personal time with family and friends to serve the community. She is the Field training Officer for the FMDH Stat Ambulance Service and has taught many people in the community- by teaching them to become EMTs, teaching 1st aide/CPR and helping EMT's to increase and better their skills and by working with children and youth to learn skills to help their family and friends. She has taught and EMR course to the Valley County Sheriff deputies so they are better equipped to to help those needing assistance before EMS's arrival. She is a Stop the Bleed Ambassador and is teaching in all the schools in Valley County, courthouse and numerous other venues. She has applied for and received grants to place Stop the Bleed kits in each school in Valley County. She assists with community health fairs, visits preschools and classrooms, helps with blood pressure clinics, does standbys at sporting events and other community events. She travels throughout Valley County to provide training to those that request it.

She has been on the ambulance providing patient care for 27 years, day and night, sometimes for weeks on end without a break.

Kalu is part of the Community Integrated Health program and did this to better serve the community by allowing people to be able to remain in their homes longer versus having to go to the hospital or a higher level of care. She is one of three in our community with the Community Integrated Health endorsement.

Kalu was instrumental in helping FMDH Stat Ambulance service become a Pediatric Prehospital Level 4 Gold Service with a Safety Plus Endorsement.

In 2018 she was named the State of Montana VFW EMT of the year.

Kalu is always trying to make herself a better EMT and always goes on step beyond in all that she does.