Richmond firefighters are now equipped to handle emergency medical calls, and will begin doing so this weekend.
While the town will continue to use Gardiner Ambulance as its provider, Richmond Fire Department personnel are now trained to respond to EMS calls. The completion of the training means Richmond firefighters can now help stabilize a patient before Gardiner Ambulance arrives.
“It’s a needed service,” said Richmond Fire Chief Matt Roberge. “We are able to get to the patients first, the ambulance response time can be 10 to 15 minutes.”
The plan to provide EMS training has been in the works for about 18 months, with total of 12 members of the fire department completing the training. Richmond now joins all other towns in Sagadahoc County providing either ambulance or EMS services. That was a driving force behind providing the training and equipment, according to Deputy Chief John Bellino.
Previously, the department only had three members trained in such services.
Richmond Fire Department members and two police officers went through one of two levels of training. The emergency medical technician course is a full semester college course, and the emergency medical responder course entails 64 hours of education. Emergency medical responders will be permitted to perform EMT basics when a technician is not available. Fire department vehicles and police cruisers now have EMS equipment available.
“There is always a police cruiser on the road at a given time, so they have medical gear in their cruisers,” said Bellino. “First responders are to meet police at the scene, and if necessary fire department vehicles are equipped with EMS gear as well.”
The department currently has enough members trained to begin responding to EMS calls starting Saturday.
A remaining handful will complete training within the next few weeks, according to Bellino. The department also had to purchase the new equipment in compliance with state regulations. The initiative was approved over the summer by Richmond’s selectboard, and the start of service is on schedule.
“We got the approval from the town in June,” Roberge said. “We thought it would be early 2018 to get the gear and training.”
The fire department was approved for about $13,000 for equipment and startup according to Bellino. The money was allotted from the town’s cable television fund.
chris@timesrecord.com
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