Emergency Medical Service (EMS)

The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Division conducted ongoing education training to all of our first response personnel and developed a continuous quality assurance program to assure the highest quality of patient care. We performed regular inspections and maintenance on the 15 Automatic External Defibrillators (AED's) located in all public buildings including:

  • All Public Schools
  • Library
  • Police Station
  • Recreation Facilities
  • Senior Center
  • The Town Hall

Life Support Training

Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and EMT-paramedics are trained to provide medical care to people who have suffered from an illness or an injury outside of the hospital setting. EMTs and paramedics work under protocols approved by a physician medical director to recognize, assess, and manage medical emergencies and transport patients to definitive medical care. EMTs provide basic life support, and EMT-paramedics provide advanced life support.

First Aid

EMTs must be proficient in first-aid, and training is centered on recognizing and treating life-threatening emergencies outside the hospital environment. EMTs learn the basics of how to handle:

  • Cardiac and Respiratory Arrest
  • Diabetic Emergencies
  • Heart Attacks
  • Respiratory Problems
  • Seizures
  • Other Medical Emergencies

They also learn how to manage traumatic injuries such as falls, fractures, lacerations, and burns. EMTs also are introduced into patient assessment, history taking, and vital signs.

CPR & Airway Management

EMTs perform:

  • Artificial Ventilation
  • Basic Airway Management
  • CPR
  • Defibrillation Using an:
    • AED
    • Bandaging/Splinting
    • May Administer Nitroglycerin, Glucose, Epinephrine, and Albuterol in Special Circumstances
    • Spinal Immobilization
    • Vital Signs
  • Oxygen Administration

Training

EMT-paramedics perform all of the skills performed by an EMT-Basic. In addition, they perform advanced airway management, such as endotracheal intubation. They obtain electrocardiographs (ECGs), introduce intravenous lines, and administer numerous emergency medications. EMT-paramedics assess ECG tracings and defibrillate. They have extensive training in patient assessment and are exposed to a variety of clinical experiences during training.