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Health & Fitness

Seriously, You're a Life-Saver...

“Attention Haddam Fire, Haddam EMS, you are responding to Haddam Meadows State Park for reports of a …”

That dot-dot-dot can be just about anything. Often it’s a call for medical help – a fall, drowning, respiratory trouble, or something worse like a stroke or heart attack.

“Many times the people we meet are having one of the worst days of their lives,” said Haddam Fire Chief Gary Klare. “We stress that to our newer members, and try to remind ourselves of that, too.”

The Haddam Volunteer Fire Company averages 500 to 600 calls per year. More than half of those – about 60 percent – are medical emergencies.

In recognition of all those who provide the day-to-day lifesaving services of medicine’s “front line” – at all levels in the system – the American College of Emergency Physicians and the National Association of EMTs has designated May 19-25 as “EMS Week.”

“No matter the need, no matter the call, EMS personnel are standing by,” said 2nd Assistant Chief and EMT Robert Norton Jr. “EMS Week is a great time to remember and say thanks.”

This year’s theme is “One Mission. One Team.” Haddam is fortunate to have a multi-agency approach to pre-hospital health care.

The Fire Company holds the State designation as R1 Medical first responding agency for all medical emergencies in town. With about 20 trained and certified Emergency Medical Responders (EMRs) and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) living throughout the town, response times are excellent, with care usually initiated within minutes. 

The HVFCo. works closely with the Haddam Volunteer Ambulance Service (HVAS), ambulance services from surrounding towns and Middlesex Hospital Paramedics to provide a complete emergency care system.

When someone dials 911, he or she is connected to a state-of-the-art dispatch facility. The caller’s location is identified in the computer. The dispatcher gathers more detailed information about the incident and advises the caller on how to help the patient even before trained EMS help has arrived.

The dispatch center immediately alerts the Fire Company, Haddam Ambulance and a Middlesex paramedic.

First Responders may go directly to the scene in their personal vehicles or ride on smaller trucks equipped with the latest medical equipment, including automated external defibrillators (AED) and Epi-Pens used to treat anaphylaxis – a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. All on-scene basic life support is provided, such as stopping bleeding, obtaining vitals signs or initiating CPR while the paramedic is en route.

Paramedics are specially trained to provide many of the advanced life support procedures that are done in an Emergency Department – inserting advanced airways, starting IV lines and administering medications.

Ambulances are no longer viewed as a transport, rather, they function more like mini-Emergency Rooms on wheels. Bright lights, climate controls and an array of equipment give EMS professionals the room to work.

If a medical emergency is so serious that getting to a Level 1 Trauma Center is crucial, a Life Star Critical Care Helicopter out of Hartford Hospital is called. Haddam Fire routinely calls for and lands Life Star in a safe landing zone and assists with patient transfer. The flight from scene to hospital can take as little as 10 minutes.  In flight, a Registered Nurse and Respiratory Therapist administer an even higher level of care.

EMS training continues to evolve. EMS-certified Instructors teach EMR and EMT courses – initial and refreshers. Fire Departments, Ambulance Services and Paramedic providers routinely train their staff to keep up with the new technologies and treatment programs. Haddam Fire also trains for unique circumstances like reaching and treating the victim of a marine accident or someone injured deep in the woods.

We should appreciate them every day, but especially next week, please take a moment to thank someone in the EMS system – from the 911 dispatcher to an Emergency Department employee and everyone in-between. 

While the rest of us are at work or fast asleep, they’re rushing to help someone in need – 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.

For more ideas on how to celebrate EMS Week, please visit http://www.emsweekideas.org/home.     


Do You Have What It Takes? Find out more about the activities of the HVFCo. and ways you can get involved at www.HaddamFire.com, or connect with us on Facebook.    
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