Town Manager, Fire Chief Address EMS Issues

Special to the Transcript

Town and fire department officials recently took part in a recent Boston Globe story on EMS staffing in the region.

In the story, the local officials discussed the tragic death of a child in the community.

The Globe investigation detailed the death of 2-year-old Yuna Feeley from cardiac arrest in January. Firefighters responded quickly to the scene, but Action Ambulance did not have an ambulance nearby to transport the toddler to the hospital. Fire Chief Scott Wiley ended up transporting the child in his vehicle.

On Dec. 6, Wiley and Town Manager Tony Marino released a joint statement regarding their participation in the Globe story.

“The Town recognizes that, despite a national shortage of emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics, we cannot sit back and wait for the national picture to improve,” the statement reads. “In Winthrop, we have been engaged in an urgent effort to modernize and expand our emergency medical services at a municipal level.

Marino and Wiley stated that Winthrop has made significant strides on EMS training and expanding the capabilities of the  fire department.

“All Winthrop firefighters are required to hold an EMT certification, and in partnership with our firefighters’ union, we have several firefighters enrolled in paramedic training. This is a significant financial investment by our town and an investment in time and effort by our dedicated first responders,” they stated.  “We have also consulted with a software vendor to develop an asset tracking program to monitor fire and EMS apparatus locations, status, and availability in real-time. We believe that technology can assist communities in being as efficient and responsive as possible in the delivery of all services, emergency and non-emergency.

“Winthrop has also worked directly with our contract ambulance service, Action Ambulance, as well as nearby Cataldo Ambulance to bring them into this tracking program.”

Marino and Wiley said they have also brought Action to the table to rethink the current patient triage system, and are in the process of implementing paramedic supervisor “chase vehicles” where fast-response EMS SUV’s can augment an EMT-staffed ambulance or even assess patients before ambulances arrive to determine of an Advanced Life Support ambulance is needed on a particular call, saving that invaluable asset for the most critical calls when needed.

“No one should experience delayed paramedic service in Winthrop or anywhere else due to the unavailability of ambulances or emergency medicine, and in Winthrop we are taking strides to ensure that residents receive the proper care when it is needed most,” Marino and Wiley continued.