Fairfax Rescue expands coverage

By Lisa M. Boucher Free Press Correspondent

FAIRFAX—Two years of meetings on how best to serve the residents in the northern end of Westford finally turned into a plan of action for emergency services earlier this month. Craig Butkus, executive director of Essex Rescue, Michael Spaulding, president of Fairfax Rescue, and John Quinn,Westford selectboard member, distilled the extensive discussions, and on Dec. 1, Fairfax Rescue began EMS coverage for Westford residents living in the area close to Fairfax. Fairfax had been covering the area’s emergency needs in recent years in a circuitous process. A 911 call from Westford would be dispatched from Essex, requiring Essex Rescue to determine whether services from Fairfax might be closer, which, if affirmed, would send the call to St. Albans Central Dispatch and eventually to Fairfax Rescue.

This extra step meant time wasted when an ambulance or “jumpers” (rescue personnel closer to the scene but not on duty) could already be en route. “The town of Westford has formally requested Fairfax Rescue to cover the northern half of Westford. Essex will continue to cover the Southern half,” said Spaulding. “There was some discussion of Fairfax taking over all of Westford, but that would put the southern end in the same situation that the northern end was in. The sooner a patient can be transported to the nearest hospital, the better the outcome is. That’s what this is about.” The E-911 change is an unprecedented move of a Franklin County (District 1) ambulance service into Chittenden County (District 3).

According to Spaulding, as a District 1 ambulance service, Fairfax is beholden to the protocols of its own district even while answering calls in Chittenden County; Northwestern Medical Center is the “Medical Control” for the service. Transport to Fletcher Allen Health Care must be approved by NMC. It also has been officially decided that Essex Rescue is the first back-up for Fairfax in the northern part of Westford, and Fairfax Rescue is now the first back-up for Essex Rescue in the southern part ofWestford. Additionally, cell phone calls to 911 from Westford will be dispatched to Fairfax Rescue primarily because the larger portion of the population is in the northern section.

If Fairfax determines the call is in an area covered by Essex, the crew chief will notify Essex dispatch, but continue to the call anyway. E-911 doesn’t receive automatic address information when someone calls from a cell phone. “If we’re unsure, we’re both going to go,” said Spaulding. “That’s how we have set it up.” The first ambulance on scene will become the primary service. The northern part of Westford is home to a number of members of the Essex and Fairfax rescue units. Collectively they forma network of jumpers who will make getting emergency services to those who need it that much easier. On Nov. 26, a joint training session was held with several members of Westford Fire Department and Fairfax Rescue at the Fairfax Fire Station to discuss the impending changes, radio protocols and a general introduction of the two departments.

Fairfield Rescue was presented with a listing of roads with directions and information about which fire and rescue to call as a backup in each area. The Westford firemen had intended to “go through the ambulance” to become familiar with where items are kept in the event they are able to offer assistance on scene, but a checklist of where items are stored was provided to them because the ambulance was out on a rescue call. Fairfax Rescue was founded in 1986 as First Responder Service and became an ambulance service in the early ’90s. It has about 35 members. “We are always looking for volunteers,” said Andy Higgins, Fairfax Rescue vice president. “Especially during the week, day shifts are the hardest to cover.”