2 | MAINE EMS: MORE THAN A JOB. A CALLING | Friday | May 18, 2012

Maine EmergencyMedical ServicesAvailable and ready to help

Maine Emergency Medical ServicesDirector: Jay BradshawAddress: 152 State House Station

Augusta, ME 04333-0152Phone: (207) 626-3860Fax: (207) 287-6251Email: MEMS@maine.govMedical Director: Matt Sholl, MD

Region 1: Southern Maine EMSOnline: www.smems.orgAddress: 474 Riverside Industrial Parkway

Portland, ME 04103Phone: (207) 741-2790Fax: (207) 741-2158Email: smems@smems.orgMedical Director: Marlene Cormier MDCoordinator: Marc Minkler

Region 2: Tri County EMSOnline: www.tricountyems.orgAddress: 300 Main Street

Lewiston, ME 04240Phone: (207) 795-2880Fax: (207) 795-2883Email: lebrunj@cmhc.org

info@tricountyems.orgMedical Director: Rebecca Chagrasulis MDCoordinator: Joanne LeBrun

Region 3: Atlantic Partners EMSOnline: www.apems.orgAddress: 71 Halifax Street

Winslow, ME 04901Phone: (207) 877-0936Fax: (207) 872-2753Email: office@apems.orgMedical Director: Timothy Pieh MDCoordinator: Rick Petrie

Region 4: Atlantic Partners EMSOnline: www.apems.orgAddress: 354 Hogan Road

Bangor, ME 04401Phone: (207) 974-4880Fax: (207) 974-4879Email: office@apems.orgMedical Director: Jonathan Busko MDCoordinator: Rick Petrie

Region 5: Aroostook EMSOnline: www.reg5ems.webs.comAddress: 111 High Street

Caribou, ME 04736Phone/Fax: (207) 492-1624Email: arems@maine.rr.comMedical Director: Peter Goth, MDCoordinator: Steven D. Corbin, EMT-B

Region 6: Mid-Coast EMSOnline: www.apems.orgAddress: Thompson Community Center

P.O. Box 610, Union, ME 04862Phone: (207) 785-5000Fax: (207) 785-5002Email: office@apems.orgMedical Director: Whitney Randolph DOCoordinator: Rick Petrie

From dispatchers to first responders,firefighters to emergency medical service professionals,

Maines communities are safer because neighbors are caring for neighbors.

And in 2012, EMS Week celebrates the fact that EMS isnt just a job; Its a calling.

This custom publication was produced for Maine EMS by the following Bangor Daily News advertising staff:

Advertising sales: Linda Hayes and Alysha Steltzer; Layout: Debra Bell; Editorial: Debra Bell, David M. Fitzpatrick, Sheila Grant, Dale McGarrigle, Brian Swartz;

Photography: Debra Bell, Brian Swartz, BDN file photos, and supplied photographs

Cover photography: Michal Heron Photography

By Debra BellBANGOR DAILY NEWS

Emergency Medical Services: Itsounds simple, right? For most peo-ple, EMS professionals would be thekey responders in the emergency field:police, fire, and ambulance.

But EMS is much more than those highprofile professions. EMS also includes:Ambulance personnel, emergency med-ical technicians (EMTs), paramedics, dis-patchers, emergency room staff, and evenhelicopter or boat responders.

According to Jay Bradshaw, execu-tive director of Maine EMS, it really isa statewide system. That systemincludes 6,000 licensed EMS providerswho are responsible for providing careto patients in a wide geographic area.

There are more EMS providers [inMaine] than ER doctors, Bradshawsaid.For people in communities [whohave] emergency needs, providers arethere to help. They come 24/7, 365.

They also come for non-emergencyneeds too, Bradshaw said. That meansproviding medical transportation forpatients who are not able to transportthemselves, such as from a nursinghome to the hospital and vice versa.EMS professionals also conduct CPRand first-aid trainings, conduct play-ground safety inspections, car seatsafety checks, helmet safety checks,administer flu vaccinations, and more.

EMS has a role in injury preven-tion and community health, he said.

On the job to keep people safe

Maines first EMS professionals

responded exclusively to car crashes. Itwasnt until the mid-60s, that EMSprofessionals began receiving trainingin institutional medicine.

Over time, training expanded toresponding to other medical emergen-cies, Bradshaw said. Then it turnedto the public health side.

Call volume has increased over timeas well, he said. In the early 1980s,EMS responded to 75,000 calls peryear, he said. Last year, [Maine] EMSresponded to about 300,000 calls.

As the population of Maine ages, ahighly trained EMS force is imperative tokeeping people safe, sound, and at home.

Rural communities, in particular,will always need EMS providers toprovide the interim care that is crucialto survival.

RFGH Celebrates EMS Week!

RFGH EMS provides a Paramedic on every emergency call.

16 Paramedics; 10 EMTs on staff

3 Ambulances

Coverage provided for Athens, Brighton, Canaan, Cornvi l le , Mercer, Norridgewock, Skowhegan and Solon.

Thank you to theRFGH EMS Team

for providing life-saving care, 24-hours a day,

seven days a week.

Caringfor the

Community!

REDINGTON FAIRVIEWGENERAL HOSPITAL(207)474-5121 / www.rfgh.net

Call 9-1-1 in an emergency.

See ABOUT, Page 4

BDN PHOTO BY GABOR DEGERE

A LifeFlight helicopter takes off from the scene of a fatal acci-dent in the southbound lane of I-95 in Alton in 2008. Two

people were pronounced dead at the scene and two otherswere taken to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor.

More than bright lights and sirens: EMS is about people

MAINE EMS: MORE THAN A JOB. A CALLING | Friday | May 18, 2012 | 3

Dianne Barter is the chief of Isle au HautRescue. She is also the only member of thedepartment on island to serve about 35year-round households. The basic EMTservice usually includes one other volunteerover the summer, and a couple of on andoff volunteers, Barter said.

Emergency calls come to Barter via a KnoxCounty Emergency Communications dis-patcher, or a call to her home phone, andsometimes because people simply turn up onher doorstep. Barter is hoping to educate thepublic to always go through 9-1-1, becauseshe also holds several jobs (including cap-taining the morning mail boat and caretak-ing island homes) and isnt always home.

Anyone becoming ill or injured on Isle auHaut should be prepared for a ride in theback of Barters truck; there is no ambulance.That will be followed by a seven-mile ride toStonington aboard whatever boat is avail-able, or a wait for the mail boat to come fromthe mainland if no other vessel is available. InStonington, patients are met by the Memori-al Ambulance Corps out of Deer Isle.

We have a great summer community withlots of doctors, and I dont hesitate to call

them, Barter said. Summer residents withmedical concerns call Barter to let her knowof their special needs because they often feelthat they cant come out unless I say we canfigure something out. But knowing they cancall somebody if something does happengives them an added sense of security.

By Sheila Grant

BDN PHOTO BY DEBRA BELL

Dianne Barter, chief of Isle au Haut Rescue.

Isle au Haut RescueRedington-Fairview EMS, licensed at the

paramedic level, has one paramedic on everyambulance for emergency calls in Skowhe-gan, as well as the towns of Norridgewock,Mercer, Canaan, Cornville, Athens, BrightonPlantation and Solon.

Its the highest level of care for groundEMS in Maine, said Barbara Demchak,EMS director. Paramedics are licensed todo procedures and administer medica-tions beyond what first responders andEMTs are allowed. The service has 35 staffmembers, 16 full-time and the rest perdiem.

Another facet of the Redington-Fairview mission is to take an active role inthe community via CPR education, class-room visits, job fairs and standing by atlocal sporting and community events, shesaid.

It sounds trite, but its a calling, saidDemchak. The only routine part of ourday is morning chores checking theambulance for supplies, getting it

scrubbed, doing paperwork. After that,there is no order to the day. People who likea lot of structure, this job would makethem crazy!

It takes individuals who enjoy the chal-lenge of meeting varied needs during eachcall, she said. They are also people whoenjoy people, and see the joy and opportuni-ty in chatting with patients from every walkof life.

By Sheila Grant

Its really important work, he said. Itbecomes part of your DNA. And as popula-tion sprawl takes place, people are livingmore away from the hubs [of majorcities].

What many people dont realize about theMaine EMS system is that not every respon-der is paid. Many towns rely on volunteers tobe the responders. And for volunteer EMSprofessionals, the profession becomes morethan just a job. Its truly a calling.

Anecdotally, there seem to be more peoplewho see this as a way to make a difference,Bradshaw said.

EMS: In unexpected places

Being an EMS professional doesnt meanjust fires, accidents, and medical emergen-cies. In fact, EMS pros are found in a varietyof unexpected places.

For instance, EMS pros offer: Playground inspections Inhalant abuse training Assistance for kids with special health-care needs Response to sexual assaults, domestic vio-lence reports, and response for elder abuse Bike helmet checks Educating civic groups Car seat safety checks Safety fairs at local schools Assistance developing safety plans Suicide prevention programs

And soon, Bradshaw noted, some EMSorganizations may be expanding their tradition-al role to include community health outreach.

Thats because, due to the legislativeefforts of Michael Willette (R), a state Repre-sentative for House District 5 which includesPresque Isle, LD 1837 An Act To Authorizethe Establishment of Pilot Projects for Com-munity Paramedicine was passed. The legis-lation is the first step in a pilot project thatwould allow for community support servic-es to be provided through public health andprevention services.

Paramedicine in Maine

Rep. Willette, an Army combat medic dur-ing Desert Storm, understands the impor-tance of paramedicine.

The idea behind community paramedi-cine takes the work done by EmergencyMedical Technicians and paramedics to anew level, he said. The benefits of a vibrantcommunity paramedicine program wouldlead to a reduction in MaineCare costs paidby the state for unnecessary ambulance tripsto the hospital and expensive proceduresthat are most times non-essential.

Other benefits, he noted, could be seen inadded value for the patient. Instead of trav-eling to a medical facility, the patient couldbe treated at home. Not only that, he said,the patient would benefit from added educa-tion and skillsets. Its also a good way to savemoney on unnecessary transports and tokeep elderly people at home instead of anursing home.

A pilot program will be launched in 2012to study paramedicine and its effects on thecommunity.

This has the ability to expand healthcareand at a lower cost, Bradshaw said. Hospi-tals like it, the community likes it, the patientlikes it.

4 | MAINE EMS: MORE THAN A JOB. A CALLING | Friday | May 18, 2012

AboutContinued from Page 3

Redington-Fairview EMS

MAINE EMS: MORE THAN A JOB. A CALLING | Friday | May 18, 2012 | 5

Maine Ambulance AssociationWorking Together For Maine!

www.the-maa.org 207-873-0427

CelebratingEMS Week!

NorthStar: The Ambulance Service of Franklin Memorial Hospital

Bases in: Farmington, Livermore, Phillips, Rangeley, and Carrabassett Valley

Thank you for the outstanding clinical care, and exemplary dedication and service to the residents and visitors of West Central Maine. We thank you!

By David M. FitzpatrickBANGOR DAILY NEWS

Tracking down a deputys name. Asking forphone numbers to other departments. Findingout when the parade starts. Checking whetherthe roads are safe to drive on during a storm.

These are just some of the examples of mis-use of the 9-1-1 system. Its rare that policeissues summonses, and when they do its usu-ally for blatant abuse drunk dialing orrepeated misuses after warnings. Most folksdont mean to misuse 9-1-1 and dont evenrealize that they do. But these misuses hamperthe system, which is designed for real emergen-cies. The trouble is, many of us perceive eventsas emergencies when they really dont qualify.

I think, by definition, 9-1-1 is intended forlife or death emergencies, said Michael Smith,director of the Somerset County Regional

Communications Center, which serves all ofSomerset County and 19 municipalities inKennebec County, including Waterville andAugusta. [But] I think there are someinstances where reports of assaults, burglariesthat youve discovered they may not neces-sarily be life or death emergencies, but war-rant quicker and more prompt response.

But cats in trees, someone stole your gar-den gnome last night, and looking up themovie-theater number dont count. Yes,people often dial 9-1-1 by mistake whenthey intend to dial 4-1-1 (information) or 2-1-1 (community-services information).

At the same time, what one person con-siders an emergency, another might not.There are no specific rules as to what consti-tutes an emergency.

Everybodys emergency is their emer-gency, Smith said. For some people, aneighbors dog roaming on their front lawn

is an emergency.The 9-1-1 dispatchers practice the When in

doubt, send em outcredo, on the logic that itsbetter to send out first responders that arentneeded than not send them and wish you had.Still, Smith prefers that people consider theappropriate venue before making a call. In atime of crisis, it could make a huge difference.

For example, during a crisis at the Sagada-hoc County Regional Call Center, the opera-tors answer calls in the order they appear.During a real disaster, its vital for dispatch-ers to get to those real emergency calls. Thetime it takes to triage a call and identify it asa non-emergency could mean the differencebetween life or death for the next caller.

It can work in reverse, too, with callers nottreating events as emergencies when perhapsthey should. One night when working dis-patch, Smith received a call from an elderlywoman looking for the non-emergency num-

ber. After he gave her the number, she called itand a dispatcher sitting next to Smithanswered it. Turns out the woman had aprowler outside her house clearly an immi-nent danger that qualified as an emergency.

The elderly are so afraid that theyrebothering somebody, Smith said.

One woman called looking for the non-emergency number, and later called 9-1-1 backto thank them for their help. Her heart was inthe right place, and it sounds amusing, butduring a crisis 9-1-1 operators may be dealingwith more life-threatening emergencies.

Smith says Mainers need better educa-tion, and his profession needs to provide it.

As a state, I think weve done a terrific jobof promoting 9-1-1 as an emergency num-ber, Smith said. I think what we really needare some public-service announcements, Ithink that would go a long way to just kind ofrefresh people on what 9-1-1 is intended for.

When is your emergency a 9-1-1 emergency?

The Searsport Ambulance Service has twopaid employees and 20 paid on-call volun-teers that staff their two ambulances. Theservice is licensed to the Basic EMT level,and permitted to the Paramedic level.

In Maine, you are licensed to the levelyou can reasonably guarantee every singletime, said Director Cory Morse. We haveparamedics on as well, so we are permittedup to the paramedic level. The service hasmutual aid pacts with other communitiesthroughout the region. An aging populationoften calls for illness rather than trauma.

The Searsport crew is there because theywant to help people in need as a way of givingback, said Morse. Benefits to the community

include rapid response, and a friendly, famil-iar face that brings a level of comfort.

Searsport is hoping to become a two-yeartest site in the Community Paramedicine PilotProject, which Morse said will bring a differ-ent level of medical service to the community.

Under the paramedicine model, EMSproviders can use their existing scope of prac-tices in non-traditional ways,including drawingblood from shut-ins and doing home checks onpeople recently discharged for post-surgical care.

Its one thing to call 9-1-1. Its another tohave an ambulance service practicing pre-ventative and well care. I think its exciting.

By Sheila Grant

Searsport Ambulance ServiceBDN FILE PHOTO

Searsport EMSrespond at the

scene of anassault in 2009.Searsport is hop-ing to be chosen

for a pilot para-medicine program

this year.

6 | MAINE EMS: MORE THAN A JOB. A CALLING | Friday | May 18, 2012

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For more information on training call207-510-0073

North East Mobile Health Services 24 Washington Ave Scarborough, ME 04074

PROUD TO SUPPORTEMS WEEK

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WHEN EVERY SECOND COUNTS... Count on us.

An award-winning stroke centerrecognized for quick response and quality of care.

Gold Seal Certified for the 5th year in a row!

By Debra BellBANGOR DAILY NEWS

For experienced and new Emergency Med-ical Services professionals alike, being in thefield isnt about the job: its about the passion.

The time-tested EMS provider

Livermore Falls EMS professional, TomDoak started in the field in 1957 as a firefight-er when he was 16 years old. The same passionalso drew him into a career in EMS at North-Star Emergency Medical Services. Doakbecame a volunteer for Rangeley Ambulancein 1969. Today, as the Certified QualityInspector Coordinator for NorthStar Emer-gency Medical Services in Livermore, hes seenthe profession change over four decades.

[When I started] there was no licensing,no training, no real guidance, Doak said.We took standard and advanced first aid a 16-hour course mostly on bandagingand splinting.

At that time, ambulances didnt reallyexist. Instead, he said, he initially worked outof a Cadillac station wagon when it came totransporting people with medical issues tothe nearest healthcare facility.

As technology improved and training wasoffered, Doak and his colleagues were trainedin new technology, new lifesaving techniques,as well as emergency care that addressed avariety of situations including childbirth.

When Doak started out, medical care wasmore basic; today it is far more complex and isaided by computers and advances in medicine.

In the 1970s, we began being licensed,Doak said. I got my original EMT license in1973. In 1980, I went on to the intermediate

level [of licensing]. In 1991-92, I earned myparamedics license and then I started doingthis full-time.

But what drew him to EMS was theopportunity to make a difference.

I was very much a red-lights and siren-head, he said, but it was the communityaspect that really drew him to the vocation.You see a lot of people at the worst point intheir lives and you have the ability to make adifference. Very few jobs out there had thatopportunity. Im not in it for the money. Ienjoy the work.

As the EMS profession adapted, changesbecame coming more frequently partly dueto legislation and partly due to technologicalimprovements.

A lot of things done in the field wereguarded by MDs, Doak said. Slowly webegan being trained to provide these servic-

es on site. It started with IVs, then defibrilla-tors. With the appropriate training, and abig boost coming from the TV show Rescue9-1-1, very exciting stuff began to happen.

Appropriate training included being ableto do more for the patient while on site or enroute, he said. Thats partly due to moretraining, more in-depth training, and thesupport of the medical community.

In 25 years Id love to come back and seewhere weve come to, Doak said.

The new face of EMS

Steve Smith, began his career in EMS asa police officer. But now, as a paramedic,he understands how important it is tomake a human connection when helpingthose in crisis.

Smith, became a police officer in 2003 in the town of Jay. Through that position, hewas called to respond to all emergency calls.Many times, he was the the first on thescene.

I really got interested in it when Iwatched the medical side of things, Smithsaid. My dad is a doctor and my mom wasa nurse, so I grew up always hearing aboutmedicine . Going out on calls [as a policeofficer] was amazing and intriguing.

But the call that solidified his interest inEMS was a call that he was involved with ona policing level. The patient had fallen andan ambulance was called. Once on the sceneit was evident that she was not getting alongwith the ambulance crew.

She wasnt making sense and didnt wanttheir help, Smith said. Since the police wereon scene, the ambulance left and Smith wastalking with the woman. What had seemedlike an everyday scenario turned into a situ-ation where the patient was having a stroke.

She didnt want to go with them becauseshe said they were not nice, he said. I tookher to the hospital [in] the cruiser and Ilearned later that I had just saved her life.That really got me.

From that moment on, Smith said he washooked on the patient care side of EMS. Hetook a basic EMT course through FosterTechnical Center and adult ED.. In July2005, he received his license and was hiredfull time right away, possibly because of hispolice background.

He began his EMS career with Doak in Liv-ermore. In 2008, he moved up to work in theFarmington area, and became a supervisor.

As an EMS professional, Smith believesits important to make sure that every ques-tion ultimately comes down to whats rightfor the patient.

I like being able to help people throughtheir time of need, he said. I can helpsomeone through their medical crisis andhelp them find out whats wrong. Its theproblem that gets me [interested]. I like tofigure things out. As a police officer I wasalways trying to figure things out. My mottois there are three parts to every story: Yours,mine, and the truth.

Seasoned professionals benefit MEMS

Smith credits his training as a police offi-cer as being as beneficial as his medicaltraining.

New and seasoned pros agree: EMS is all about the passionBDN PHOTO BY DEBRA BELL

Steve Smith (left) and Tom Doak (right)stand in front of NorthStars ambulance

in Livermore Falls.

See EXPERIENCED, Page 7

MAINE EMS: MORE THAN A JOB. A CALLING. | Friday | May 18, 2012 | 7

By Debra BellBANGOR DAILY NEWS

For Pat Long, becoming anEmergency Medical Service pro-fessional started when he was ahigh school student.

A longtime member of the[Ashland Ambulance Service]service back then [in 1974] theyneeded a driver for a call and theEMT at the time told me to get inand drive, I did and was hookedever since. I worked as a driver fora while then became a FirstResponder. I then worked my wayto become a Licensed AmbulanceAttendant, then an [an EmergencyMedical Technician] basic, then anIntermediate, then a Paramedic.

Long took a hiatus from schooland EMS work to enlist in the mil-itary and after the military workedin a saw mill. After surgery on his

hands, he went back to school andbecame a full-time EMS profes-sional for Ashland. After threeyears of working full time for Ash-land, he took over as director andlearned all the parts of the service.

The calling of the EMS profes-sion came from helping others andits a family affair in the Long fam-

ily. His wife, Tracy is an intermedi-ate EMT-Intermediate with 15-plus years of experience and theirson Christopher is an EMT-basicfor five plus years. Tracy adds, Hewas always talking about EMS andwe tried it to be involved in his pas-sion and low and behold we lovedit too. Caring for townspeople,many of them we have known allour lives, was just so rewarding.

In addition to his work with Ash-land, Pat is a member of the Ash-land fire department. Longsdaughter Danielle is also a member.

Being so remote and from sucha small community it seemed likethe right thing to do. I soonlearned I loved it and really neverlooked back.

In many parts of Maine, includ-ing northern Maine where Longworks, EMS professionals care forresidents over a wide-spread area.Long knows this well because EMS

professionals in Ashlands servicearea provide emergency medicalcare to residents in a service area thatcovers about 2,350 square miles.

What would folks do if wewerent here and or had to wait foran ambulance to come fromanother location, he said. I reallychoose not to think about it andthank the Lord we dont have to dothat. Its a team effort and what ateam of people we have, withoutall of them the team fails.

EMS professionals, Long said, area special breed of people.We adaptand deal with the challenges headon, he said. Aroostook County isno different than anywhere else,just a little more remote and furtherfor a local hospital. People see andsupport these services and many goabove and beyond to help.

Thats important to being a mem-ber of the community, he said. Wedo our best, all the time, period,

Long said.We do and wesee a lot of what most folks wouldturn and run away from but if wedont do it, who will? It is a callingand not meant for all folks but mostfolks [who stay involved with EMS]will tell you they love it, and to be100 percent honest I do too.

EMS is a profession that Longbelieves is important for any personwho wants to make a difference.

If there is anyone who thinksthat they may want to work inEMS, give it a try, he said. Con-sider [asking to do] a ride-alongand see what [its like]. You wontknow until you do and if it is a pro-fession that you choose to do youwont regret making that decision.The first person that gives you ahug and says they were so glad thatyou were with their loved one will[convince you] that the career thatyou chose was the right one.

Pat Long

Pownal Fire and Rescue serves the town ofPownal, and provides mutual aid to Durham,New Gloucester, North Yarmouth andFreeport. The volunteer fire department mem-bers get a stipend based on call time, but asvolunteers, they are not required to show up.Still, they do.

They do what they do because its a way tohelp the town that suits them, said DickHogue, deputy chief. When I first got to town,I was on a lot of different boards. You do a lotof talking about things and not much happens.With the fire department, you go there, youhave a very direct protocol to follow, you do

your paperwork, and go home. The job isdone, and done correctly, and thats that.

The fire department is also licensed to pro-vide first responder care and has several mem-bers who are Basic or Intermediate EMTs. Theyare often first on scene, and stabilize patientsuntil an ambulance arrives. The majority oftheir medical calls are for elderly patients. Hav-ing local first responders benefits the communi-ty because, we can get there so quickly, andpeople know us, said Hogue.Its a friend walk-ing into your house. Thats a great comfort.

By Sheila Grant

Pownal Fire and RescueIts a combination of skills and calm-

ing people through talk that helps in a lotof calls, Smith said.

Todays EMS professionals have theability to call into the medical center andget instructions and advice en route tocreate a better patient care situation.

When Doak started out, medicalcare was more basic. Today is far morecomplex and is aided by computersand advances in medicine. As the med-ical community continues to supportEMS, patients benefit from faster andsmarter care.

And the EMS community makes cer-tain to focus on better patient care tohave nothing but successful outcomes.

Part of those successful outcomescomes from experienced professionalsworking with todays newer EMS pros.Its going to be neat to look into thefuture as our leaders are always puttingone foot forward to give us top of theline equipment, Smith said.

For the professionals who have pavedthe way, the future is exciting too.

The [ability of the newer profession-als] to retain the information thatsbeyond me makes me thrilled to deathknowing that when I leave the profession,Ill leave it in good hands, Doak said.

ExperienceContinued from Page 6

Generations of Pros: The Long Family, Aroostook County

By Debra BellBANGOR DAILY NEWS

In many communities, its not unusual tosee EMS units full of relatives. For oneMaine family, EMS is a tradition.

A sons calling: Christopher Pare

For Christopher Pare, the EMS ProgramManager for Maine Medical Center and perdiem paramedic for Wells EMS, giving back isin his blood. He joined the junior fire depart-ment on his fourteenth birthday in 1988 andtwo years later he received his first EMSlicense: Licensed Ambulance Attendant.

When he was just starting out in the EMSfield, he volunteered with the primary EMSprovider for Waterboro, the Waterboro FireDepartment.

I have fond memories of working thereand am always thankful and proud that Iwas able to make my start there as a juniormember of the department, Pare said.

Some of my earliest memories are of hang-ing out at the fire station with my parents,who were both involved at the time. Itseemed like a natural progression for me.

Pares family had EMS in its blood. Hisuncle, once involved in EMS is now a physi-cian. A cousin is an EMT-Intermediate. Hismother and father both were EMS providersin the fire department. His wife is a para-medic. And Pare credits so much of his fam-ily influence on his choice of profession.

I enjoyed the feeling of helping peopleand my community, he said. I do thinkthat looking up to my family members andfeeling that the firefighters and EMSproviders that I spent so much time withwere also family encouraged me to make acareer out of EMS.

That career doesnt come with a glam-orous lifestyle, Pare noted.

I believe EMS is a calling. It takes a spe-cial person to leave their families for hoursat a time not only to respond to calls forservice but also to maintain their state and

national licenses, train, and prepare, hesaid. There is not much glamorous aboutEMS: its incredibly stressful, you are mostoften seeing people at their worst, duringperhaps their darkest hour, during the cold,mud, rain, sleet, or tourist seasons. You getvomited on, bled on, spat upon, and calledthings that would make most folks blush.Every once in a while however, you knowyou have made a difference in somebodyslife, and that makes all of it worth it.

Pare volunteers for the community he livesin as a volunteer for the Acton AmbulanceAssociation and Acton Fire Department.

A mothers dedication: Virginia Jordan

Pares mother, Virginia Jordan, echoesmuch of her sons views. Jordan is licensed asa paramedic, but is currently inactive. She is,however, working as the Practice Nurse forMaine Medical Partners General Surgery,Trauma and Critical Care Unit.

When she was active in EMS, she andChris both worked together at Wells EMS

and at Waterboro Fire Department. She gother start by taking an advanced first aidcourse while raising three small children.

Jordan knows, for instance, that EMS ismuch more than just a ride to the hospital orresponding to an accident. Especially in ruralareas, EMS is the provider of basic and emer-gency care as well as the helping hand, listen-er, tea maker and shoulder to cry on. They arealso the [blood pressure] takers, well-beingcheckers, get my remote from behind thecouch, and fund raisers. It isnt just about theride to the hospital in an ambulance.

But the calling of EMS is more than justresponding to emergencies. Its about beingthere for people when they need help most.

It is a calling, Jordan said. You have tolove helping people, even if it is getting theremote at midnight. You have to be braveand a little crazy to jump into the EMS life.I have to say that the EMS people you workwith, see on the street in passing or havenever met are in fact your family too. Aphone call is all it takes to prove that.

8 | MAINE EMS: MORE THAN A JOB. A CALLING | Friday | May 18, 2012

Insurance products are: not a deposit; not FDIC insured;not insured by any federalgovernment agency; and, not guaranteed by TD Bank, N.A. or any of its afliates.Insurance products are offered through TD Insurance, Inc.TD Insurance is a service mark of the Toronto-Dominion Bank. Used with permission.

Maine Emergency Medical Services

PROUD toSUPPORT

Ambulance Service Inc.

Generations of Professionals: The Pare/Jordan family

Ambulance Service Incorporated in FortKent has a staff of 25, including five Para-medic Inter-Facility Transfer Training certi-fied paramedics.

We can go above and beyond the para-medic level as far as transfers are concerned,using more equipment than they are trainedfor in a regular paramedic program, saidGary Gardner, assistant director. Our near-est trauma center is in Bangor [EasternMaine Medical Center], so were looking atalmost 200 miles.

Volunteers are paid to be on call, and

varying amounts depending upon the typeof call. Gardner said it takes a special groupof people to do this work.

They like helping people, but along with

that, theres a sense of accomplishment, hesaid. Theres a crisis and youre thrown intoit and have to work your way through chaosto bring order, and you get results, and once

that happens to you, you get withdrawalsymptoms and you want to go back and doit again.

Ambulance Service Incorporated hasambulances located in four AroostookCounty communities and provides emer-gency care 24/7 for patients involved in trau-ma or with medical conditions.

We try to respond to them within a certainnumber of minutes, said Gardner.Its a serv-ice that every community needs, for sure.

By Sheila Grant

BDN FILE PHOTO BY KEVIN BENNETT

MAINE EMS: MORE THAN A JOB. A CALLING. | Friday | May 18, 2012 | 9

Honoring the EMS Teamat Sebasticook Valley Health

Thank you for providinglife-saving care every day.

By Debra BellBANGOR DAILY NEWS

Anyone from Turner will tell you that thego to person in their community whentheres an emergency is Laurel Gagne.

Thats because Laurel is a driving force inTurner Fire and Rescue. While she doesntgo on calls anymore, she does manage theradios from command central located in herliving room.

Mother likes to say she cant [respond toemergency calls] any more, but shes still theone people call to get opinions, her son

Ross said.Ross Gagne, is an Emergency Medical

Technicial and the assistant rescue chief. Hismother, Laurel, is the rescue chief.

We still have a chats every morningabout whats going on, he said.

Laurel raised a family of EMS profession-als: in addition to Ross her daughter, CherylBurgess, works as an EMS professional inAlabama, sister Carol is an EMT-Intermedi-ate, granddaughter Amanda Hebert servesas a dispatcher, and Rosss wife, Brenda, dis-patches.

Taking care of her community alwayscame natural to Laurel. Her husband,

Lawrence, was one of the founding mem-bers of the Turner Fire Department. Heserved as Turner Fire Chief for 42 years.Laurel, started Turner Rescue in 1978,and has served as its chief since the begin-ning.

Turners Fire and Rescue team covers thetowns of Turner, Hartford, and Leeds withthree trucks. Their first rescue garage, hesaid, had emergency vans in it initially.After they got the ambulance, it was alsohoused in the family barn.

Laurel, who served as a principal ofLeavitt Area High School, was alwaysinterested in medicine. As the principal,many times emergency medical service wasleft up to her. She took the necessary train-ings and became licensed as an EMTthrough what was then called Civil Pre-paredness, now known as Emergency Man-

agement.This was something [my husband and I]

did together, Laurel said. I was the onewho got licensed and then he [got licensed].He was one of the first 16 in the state to belicensed. I believe in giving back [to thecommunity].

Ross said he got into EMS because hewanted to follow in his parents footsteps.

I always liked fire [fighting] and I likeEMS, Ross said. We have patients who,when we come to them, they give us hugs.

Laurel and Lawrence have also beenhonored with a Jefferson Award, an awardfrom the American Red Cross twice bythe Board of EMS; in 1989 Laurel wasgiven a Special Merit Award, and in 2003both Laurel and Lawrence were givenLifetime Achievement Awards by Gover-nor Angus King.

Generations of Professionals: The Gagne Family, Turner

United Ambulance Service, owned byCentral Maine Medical Center and St.Marys Regional Medical Center, providesemergency and non-emergency medicaltransportation for patients throughoutAndroscoggin County.

We also provide medical transport viaour wheelchair van service, which is for themost part non-emergent, pre-scheduledtransfers, said Paul Gosselin, executivedirector. United Ambulance also has aneducation department that provides Basicand Intermediate EMT, and Paramediccourses.

The ambulance service has three primarybases in Lewiston, Auburn, and Bridgton,and provides back-up to smaller services insurrounding communities. It is licensed atthe Paramedic level, meaning that at least

one Paramedic is aboard for emergencycalls. Non-emergent transport helpspatients unable to travel in a regular vehiclefrom one medical facility to another, orfrom home to an appointment with a med-ical care provider. In those cases, employinga wheelchair van provides great cost savingsover an ambulance, Gosselin said.

We pick them up and provide door-to-door service, he said. It provides a goodservice to the community, and better fiscalresponsibility.

Gosselin said there are a potpourri ofreasons to do this work, including publicservice, liking to help people, a desire to work in the medical field, and the excitement.

By Sheila Grant

United Ambulance Service

By Dale McGarrigleBANGOR DAILY NEWS

One little girl from Winn is fortunate thatthe dispatchers at the Penobscot CountyRegional Communications Center are soskilled at their job.

Around 3 p.m. on July 9, 2011, a call came into PCRCC from a father reporting that his 2-year-old daughter had fallen into a shallow welland was unresponsive when he pulled her out.

Tim Hall, a senior operator and shiftsupervisor, took the father through, step bystep, how to perform cardiopulmonaryresuscitation and revive his daughter.

By the time Chad MacArthur, an interme-diate emergency medical technician forMattawamkeag Ambulance Service, arrivedat the childs home on Route 168, she spatup water and took a breath. MacArthurscooped her up and they all rushed to

Penobscot Valley Hospital in Lincoln.Because Hall and the girls father started

the process by going through those stepsover the phone, We have a little girl that isstill with us, Jim Ryan, the communicationcenters executive director, said at the time.

While such an event may seem remarkableto the public at large, Ryan said dispatchersgive vital medical instruction every day.

They deliver babies, they do emergencymedical dispatching, they help with CPR,he explained.

The voice of confidence at the other endof the phone, dispatchers at the PenobscotCounty Regional Communications Centermay make their work look easy, but its any-thing but. The competence that the 30employees of the center display comes fromyears of training and experience.

So what makes a good dispatcher? TraceyErickson, who has been a dispatcher formore than 20 years and a supervisor since

2001, had some ideas.Someone who can multi-task, Erickson

said. You may have a radio in one ear, aphone in the other, and be typing at thesame time. Also someone who can makegood decisions quickly.

Thats evident in the large room on thethird floor of the former courthouse onHammond Street in Bangor that now hous-es PCRCC. Eyes and hands flit over the fivescreens in front of each of the six dispatch-ers on duty as they field calls.

At the heart of it is the emergency med-ical-dispatch protocol system. Its now asoftware program that dispatchers use tosolicit crucial information from the callers.

The dispatcher puts in the callers prob-lem, and the program supplies questions thatthe dispatcher needs to ask, explained Ryan.Each answer drives you to the next ques-tion. The process has to be followed exactly.

Ryan urges the public to follow the dis-patchers lead. People should be patientwith the basic questions, especially on themedical calls. The dispatch is going to haveto ask a few questions before they roll theambulance, which is frustrating to people.The exceptions are the calls when some-bodys not breathing, when the ambulance isstarted immediately, he said.

The center fields all the 9-1-1 landline callsin Penobscot and Aroostook counties and dis-patching for fire, police and emergency med-ical services in all Penobscot County exceptfor the City of Bangor and the University ofMaine, which handle their own dispatch.

The center handles the most emergency dis-patch calls of any agency in the state. In March,the center took 3,929 9-1-1 calls, with 1,111 ofthose requiring emergency medical dispatch.

The centers success starts with a rigorous

screening and training program. A newemployee starts by sitting through oralboards, then undergoing a backgroundcheck and other testing, including poly-graph, hearing, and drug screenings.

Then he or she is assigned to a field trainingofficer for up to 20 weeks of training, includ-ing entry-level dispatcher and certified field-operator schools, emergency medical dispatch,CRP training, and licensing by Maine EMS.Alltold, it could take up to six months to get thechance to become a dispatcher.

Then comes getting comfortable in the chair.You may know how to do it, but you

have to build that self-confidence, Ryansaid. You start out second-guessing your-self, but self-confidence comes with time,and it becomes second nature.

Each dispatcher must take 24 hours of train-ing every two years to maintain certification.

In addition, Erickson is responsible forthe centers quality-assurance program.Each week, she listens to one fire, one police,and one EMS call for each dispatcher.

Once processed, the filled out forms willbe directed to the supervisor and reviewedwith the dispatcher.

That set-up seems to be working. Maine EMSrequired a 90-percent rating of calls handled cor-rectly, with PCRCC running around 97 percent.

The hours can take their toll, Ericksonsaid. Its no Monday-to-Friday job. Therewill be downtime when nothings going on,then something horrendous happens. Or itcan be so busy that youre sitting there forthree to four hours straight. A lot of times,we dont know the outcomes of the calls.Sometimes you have to take a walk or talkwith somebody after a hard call. Its a verystressful job. Some of the things you hearyou just cant believe.

10 | MAINE EMS: MORE THAN A JOB. A CALLING. | Friday | May 18, 2012

Were Proud and Ready to be Part of the Team...

At St. Joseph Hospitals Emergency Department, we salute our regions Emergency Medical Technicians. The Emergency medical staff at St. Joseph Hospital would like to say Thank you for your hard work,

dedication and extraordinary service to our patients and our communities.

We are proud to be part of the extended team of emergency providers.

...Always Prepared for Lifes EmergenciesAt St. Joseph Hospital all patients are greeted promptly in our Emergency

Department. Nurses and providers work quickly to evaluate the needs of

each patient. Our goal is to provide quality, timely and comfortable care.

Did You Know...

Charles F. Pattavina MD, FACEPMedical Director

Sponsored by Covenant Health Systems

Founded by the Felician Sisters

St. Joseph HealthcareSt. Joseph Hospital

In the Spirit of Healing

Your Doctors l Your Technology l Your Choice l Your Hospital

360 Broadway l Bangor, Maine l www.stjoeshealing.org

Saluting the everyday heroeswho serve our region so ably.

Central Maine Medical Center Bridgton Hospital Rumford Hospital

www.cmmf.org

May 20-26

Dispatchers offer guidance while help arrives

12 | MAINE EMS: MORE THAN A JOB. A CALLING. | Friday | May 18, 2012

www.mmc.org

*American College of Surgeons Level 1 designation is the highest level of emergency care.

Maines leading emergency department is also the states only ACS

Level 1 verified trauma center,* the highest standard of emergency care

in the nation. On average, our professional and committed staff sees a

new patient every 9 minutes, treating any medical emergency with a

personal touch theres even a dedicated pediatric space. It takes an

entire hospital to make an emergency department shine; thats why

Maine Medical Center has more specialists than any other hospital in

the state. Because in an emergency, you can never be over-prepared.

Maines only Verified Level 1 Trauma Center. The only place you want to be in an emergency.

The Sagadahoc CountyCommunications Center,located in the county courtbuilding, dispatches police, fireand EMS services throughoutthe county, in addition to han-dling non-emergency andbusiness calls for all the publicsafety agencies in the county.Now, thanks to EmergencyMedical Dispatch training, dis-patchers can also provide med-ical pre-arrival instructions tothe patient or caller in order tohelp the patient until theambulance arrives.

Brodie Hinckley, Communi-cations Director, said havingEMD protocol to follow allowsdispatchers to provide appro-priate medical instructions tocallers who may be witnessingthe worst thing in their life.

Before EMD training, dis-patchers legally could not provide

medical,first-aid instructions.The person who called felt

helpless. Now, the caller canreceive medical instructions,and provide first aid to thepatient; it gives the caller some-thing to focus on, and after thefact, the caller can feel like theydid something to help providea chance for that persons sur-vival. Medical instructionsprovided by emergency med-ical dispatchers include CPR,helping a person whos chok-ing, controlling bleeding,emergency childbirth, direct-ing a chest pain patient to takeaspirin, and use of an automat-ic external defibrillator.

A panicked caller may wantto blurt out the who andwhat first, but the address ofthe emergency, and numberbeing called from, are mostimportant, so that if the con-nection is lost, dispatch stillknows where to send help, andcan try to call back. Once thosefacts are secured, its time forthe caller to share what hap-pened, so that dispatch knowswhat medical instructions togive, and what types of rescue(police, fire, medical) to send.

Brodie said it takes a specialtype of person to dispatch, onewho likes to be involved in thewhole process rather than spe-cializing in only fire safety, lawenforcement or EMS.

A dispatcher gets a little bitof everything, he said.

By Sheila Grant

guide that problem-based training.Plans called for the flight medics to

participate in the trauma educationclasses this summer, but the 126th Med-ical Co. recently deployed to Kuwait.The units flight medics will be part ofthis program in 2013, Batsie said.

The Pentagon has recently decreedthat during the next three years, allArmy flight medics must obtain certifi-cation as civilian flight paramedics. Itsa national accreditation, MarkUrquhart said. All [Army] flight medicsmust have it by fiscal year 2017. Its theonly job in the Army that has a civiliancredential.

Among the certifications that allArmy flight medics must acquire areadvanced cardiovascular life support,pre-hospital trauma life support, andpediatric education for pre-hospitalproviders, described by DeborahUrquhart as the specialized emergencycare that kids need.

For flight medics scattered amongArmy aviation units worldwide, similar

on-site training like that offered in Ban-gor is not always available. To obtaincertification as civilian flight para-medics, 322 current Army flight medicsmust attend college to do so.

With EMCC already training MaineARNG flight medics, school officialshave proposed a five-semester curricu-lum suitable to training Army flightmedics who would attend classes inBangor. Weve only had these prelimi-nary discussions so far, Batsie said.Mark [Urquhart] came to us and saidthe Army has this need.

Their vision was to link up with us andcreate a flight medic program, he said.

A draft curriculum was presented inFebruary to Col. David Smith, the ARNGsstate aviation officer. This curriculumwould augment what they (EMCCinstructors) currently teach with someArmy training to make sure the flightmedic training we are proposing is whatthe Army needs, Mark Urquhart said.

For Army flight medics attending col-lege in Bangor, we can take care of theirsoldier needs here at the 126th,Mark said.

Pentagon officials must approve theEMCC proposal, which the Maine ArmyGuard strongly supports.

ArmyContinued from Page 11

Sagadahoc CountyCommunications Center