Club Donates $1,300 to Harvard Ambulance Service for Two-Way Radios
Posted by Melissa Fetterhoff
Ayer Rotary Club President Melissa Fetterhoff, Dr. Steve Beckman of the Harvard Ambulance Service, and Ayer Rotarian Bill Spacciapoli
The Ayer Rotary Club presented a $1,300 check to the Harvard Ambulance Service for the purchase of four two-way radios for use by EMTs responding to emergencies. President Melissa presented the donation to Dr. Steve Beckman, director of the Ambulance Service at last week's meeting.
Dr. Beckman was the evening's speaker and told about the efforts of the ambulance service to have round-the-clock staffing and to reduce response times to emergencies. He particularly stressed the uniqueness of having Bromfield High School students as trained EMTS who are able to leave school and respond to daytime calls. The busiest period of the day is between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., when they have 43 percent of their calls.
Beckman said they are using a strategy of sending a responding EMT directly to the scene of the call, while another retrieves the ambulance. This allows the on-scene EMT to assess the situation and begin treatment. However, he said a lack of two-way radios was impeding the service's efforts to effectively communicate.
The Harvard Ambulance Service is funded entirely from insurance billing and donations, and it receives no taxpayer support from the town. However, Beckman said the service's revenues just keep up with expenses, leaving little extra for equipment purchases.
Dr. Beckman was the evening's speaker and told about the efforts of the ambulance service to have round-the-clock staffing and to reduce response times to emergencies. He particularly stressed the uniqueness of having Bromfield High School students as trained EMTS who are able to leave school and respond to daytime calls. The busiest period of the day is between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., when they have 43 percent of their calls.
Beckman said they are using a strategy of sending a responding EMT directly to the scene of the call, while another retrieves the ambulance. This allows the on-scene EMT to assess the situation and begin treatment. However, he said a lack of two-way radios was impeding the service's efforts to effectively communicate.
The Harvard Ambulance Service is funded entirely from insurance billing and donations, and it receives no taxpayer support from the town. However, Beckman said the service's revenues just keep up with expenses, leaving little extra for equipment purchases.