GREENFIELD — From 2015 to 2016, emergency medical service providers responded to nearly twice as many opioid-related incidents. Since national EMS Week begins May 21, MedCare hopes the public recognize the work its responders do on a daily basis.
“They deal with the real world,” said Tim Coolen, president of MedCare in Greenfield. “That’s why it’s so important to us to make sure they’re recognized and respected at what they do.”
Next week, residents will have a chance to thank the emergency medical technicians and paramedics for their work in the community.
MedCare services the Greenfield area primarily, and assists the surrounding area. It also has a partnership with Baystate Health, so they service not only Baystate Franklin Medical Center but also the hospital in Springfield. All together, MedCare employs about 100 service providers.
“We continue to do our very best in delivering to the immediate expectations of our clients,” Coolen said. “We try our very best to be integrated into the community.”
Coolen encouraged people looking for a career to think about this field.
“In Massachusetts it’s always a challenge for resources,” he said. “The EMTs and the paramedics are a scarce resource in the industry. We could use more. All over the state looking for more resources.”
As it comes to the opioid epidemic, the increasing concern of coming into contact with people who have heroin or fentanyl has made things more complicated.
“It always concerns us the amount of interaction that we have with those who are in contact with those with opioids,” Coolen said. “It’s concerning as it is concerning for the community.”
EMS providers now have more Narcan on them than in prior years, Coolen said. EMS providers who are trained to give Narcan administer it to those who have overdosed.
When it comes to not just the opioid epidemic, but also servicing the community as a whole, Coolen noted the importance of all first-responders working together.
“It really is a joint, a public safety approach that we’re a part of,” Coolen said. “We feel our operation is good, but our collaboration with the police force and fire department — that collaboration matters.”