WATERVILLE– Concerns are being raised throughout the city of Waterville, including within the fire department, as a result of the closure of the principal hospital in the city.
Concerns have been raised regarding the fact that ambulance staff are now required to transfer the majority of patients to Augusta in circumstances where seconds can save lives.
There are 32 firefighters and emergency medical technicians working full-time for the Waterville Fire Department.
One half is assigned to two ambulances around the clock.
“We have to be ready not only for medical calls, but we also have to be ready for fire calls,” said Courtney Munger, a paramedic service in Waterville.
Munger is in agreement with the suggestion made by the fire chief to take on eight additional paramedic-EMTs in order to staff a third ambulance.
“Eight new crew members, it will allow us to have that buffer,” Munger explained to reporters. “Just kind of takes a little bit more stress off of us.”
There are ten ambulance services in Maine that are among the busiest, and the Waterville Fire Department is one of them.
In addition, they have the fewest number of emergency medical technicians and paramedics on that list.
As a result of this, the average number of calls that an emergency medical technician in Waterville makes in a year is approximately 180, whereas in Auburn and South Portland, they only make about 100 calls.
“There are days that are busier than others,” said Jason Frost, the Chief of the Waterville Fire Department. According to the whole picture, however, we are a highly active tiny department.
It is now necessary for crews to transport a greater number of patients to Maine General Medical Center in Augusta as a result of the closure of Northern Light Inland Hospital inside the city of Waterville.
Because of this, the turnaround periods for getting those crews back into service will be longer, which is why there is a need for new emergency medical technicians.
The chairperson of the city council has stated that the planned budget for the city would increase from a 5 percent increase to a 7 percent increase if four new hiring were made.
There would be a 9 percent rise if there were eight additional jobs.
Ellen Tompkins, a resident in Waterville, stated that “when it comes down to the wallet, that is going to be a big hit.”
In order to pay for the new paramedics, Ellen and Peter Tompkins believe that the town leaders should find other ways to minimize costs.
“If it were me that was in need, and I needed an ambulance, yes, I would want it available,” Ellen Tompkins stated to reporters.
“Considering that I am a veteran, I am eligible for the discount,” said Peter Tompkins, a homeowner from Waterville. The Homestead Act is another factor, and I am still required to pay a significant amount of taxes.
Frost stated, “I am aware that it can be considered a significant burden on the taxpayers.” It is not lost on me that this is the case; but, I was asked what we needed to do in order to continue doing our work in the same manner that we did it before the shutdown, and that is what I came up with.
Despite the fact that the fire department already possesses an additional ambulance, the head of fire claims that they require emergency medical technicians to man it in order to guarantee prompt response times.
“They’re not going to have to wait as long for an ambulance,” Munger explained to reporters.
It is possible for mutual aid to be helpful, according to the chief of fire, but it requires teams to leave their own town.
On Tuesday evening, the Waterville City Council will have the first vote on the budget and the new emergency medical technicians.
