Commentary—

Local EMS Providers Respond To Increasing 911 Calls

By Laurie Veillette

Newtown’s Emergency Medical Service continues to respond to an increasing number of 911 calls each year. In 2005, Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps received 1,833 calls for help, averaging five calls a day, and provided care to 1,988 patients. These statistics become more daunting when factoring in the time log. One staffing crew can easily cover five calls evenly spaced over 24 hours; however, emergencies do not run on a schedule. Most EMS calls occur during daylight hours and often times there are multiple dispatches, in which the staffing crew is on one call and another 911 call comes in. Last year, there were 273 “double” calls where a second crew was needed to respond and 61 times a third crew was required. Newtown EMS maintains three ambulances. In 2005 there were 16 incidents of “quadruples” or 16 times that Newtown needed to locate a fourth ambulance to cover EMS dispatches.

Most towns in our area are experiencing an increase in EMS call volume. Like many towns, Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps participates in a mutual aid program with neighboring towns to ensure the fastest response time when multiple calls are dispatched. If a neighboring ambulance service is not available a commercial ambulance service is contacted. Every 911 call is covered.

Unlike other towns, Newtown also boasts a “direct service” program in which emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and the fire department personnel from the five firehouses respond to calls in their own vehicles. Members of the Newtown fire departments are all trained in basic emergency medical care. Emergency medical and fire responders often go “direct” to assist with motor vehicle accidents and incidents involving people with breathing difficulties and cardiac arrest.

With more than 60 square miles of terrain in Newtown and one ambulance dispatch location, direct responders play a critical role in providing fast emergency medical care. NVAC members have radios installed in their vehicles and are permitted to use a green flashing light to alert traffic. It is not required that drivers move to the right to allow EMTs in their personal vehicles to pass, but it is helpful if traffic is aware that the green light signifies an emergency response to someone in need.

Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps offers an emergency medical technician course two to three times a year for anyone interested in becoming an EMT. The course consists of 120 hours of in-class training, emergency room observation time, and multiple ambulance ride-alongs. The current EMT class includes a number of high school students who upon completion of the course and successful passing of the state exams will be eligible to join Newtown’s Volunteer Ambulance Junior Corps program for teens 16 and 17 years old.

The next community CPR/AED (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Automatic External Defibrillator) class is scheduled in two parts on Wednesday, June 21, and Wednesday, June 28, from 6 to 10 pm. There is also a recertification class on Saturday, June 10,from 9 am to noon, for those first responders who need to renew their professional rescuers CPR/AED certification. Call NVAC at 270-4380 for details on all of these courses.

If you are unsure as to whether you should learn CPR, consider this: last year Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps performed CPR 18 times and was able to revive three lives. The chances of surviving cardiac arrest dramatically increase when CPR is administered within the first few minutes of heart failure, often the time before the arrival of emergency personnel. By learning CPR you can bridge the time gap for care and give someone a second chance to live … it’s your call.

(Laurie Veillette is an EMT with Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps and a Red Cross instructor.)