If you called 911 for a medical emergency, would you want your first responder to be on hour 36 of a 24-hour shift? Well, thanks to a critical paramedic shortage in Massachusetts, there might not be another option: mandatory overtime is now enforced, affecting the overall level of care provided to local communities.
The impact of COVID-19 further compounded the public’s preexisting lack of interest in becoming a first responder. That, along with strenuous hiring processes, has perpetuated the paramedic shortage, making it a crucial problem not just locally, but nationwide.
One way communities in Massachusetts have seen this deficit manifest itself is in lengthy firefighter response times. Massachusetts fire departments are unable to keep response and transportation times stable due to limited paramedic resources. According to Plymouth Fire Chief Neil Foley, many communities are forced to withdraw ambulances from service as a result of excessive response times, which are caused by a lack of paramedics to staff the ambulances. Read More…
Check on what AMR in Springfield is doing. they are paying their staff to do Medic schooling. It is working for them. Maybe MCVFA could sponsor some planning for a program like that. I believe there are some Community Colleges with Medic programs also.