NORTHFIELD — The Selectboard has hired a new EMS chief following Mark Fortier’s resignation in July.

Selectboard members voted on Tuesday to approve Matt Wolkenbreit’s contract as the town’s new EMS chief and full-time paramedic, effective immediately. The contract was negotiated during an executive session but was approved by a unanimous vote during the subsequent open session.

Wolkenbreit, 45, of Montague, has about 25 years of experience as a paramedic. He began his career in Amherst as a call firefighter before spending a large part of his career working for Baystate Health, first in Springfield and later in Greenfield.

He then transitioned to be executive director at Community 911 Training in Montague, a nonprofit focused on teaching emergency medicine and emergency response to the community, first responders and health care providers.

Wolkenbreit said he has been following Northfield EMS and its “growth” as an organization for a long time.

“When the position got posted, I kind of felt like it spoke to me,” he said in an interview. “I kind of thought that maybe I could bring something to the table with all of my experience.”

Wolkenbreit said that with the department undergoing a “huge transition” at the moment, he feels there’s a lot of opportunity, both immediately and long-term, to ensure the crew continues to provide quality care to residents of its coverage area, which has grown over the years to include Northfield, Bernardston, Gill and part of Erving.

“I’m going to be one of those providers, back out on the street with them and making sure that they continue to have the resources that they need to do the job, caring for the community,” he said.

Specifically, Wolkenbreit said he plans to do a lot of work with Northfield’s Emergency Services Regionalization Task Force as the town considers the potential formation of a regional structure. He also plans to help educate the community on Northfield EMS by explaining what the department provides, why the organization is needed and the type of growth that is happening. He anticipates holding information sessions.

“I love community outreach, training and education,” Wolkenbreit explained. “Clinical care is really important to me and I kind of think that there’s a huge amount of opportunity here with this organization as it’s transitioning from what has been a largely volunteer and call department to the future of serving these communities with more staff, more resources and delivering really high-quality pre-hospital care to all of the people who need it in the region.”

At the department, Wolkenbreit intends to learn from other staff members about potential needs regarding gear, equipment and space.

Northfield EMS currently operates out of a building that was once a gas station at 41 Main St. Wolkenbreit explained how limited the space is for staff members as it only has one main office space, one bathroom, no sleeping accommodations or showers for those who work night shifts, and a small garage that can only hold two EMS vehicles.

The department does have a third truck, however, that is housed at Erving’s firehouse.

“We’re in small quarters,” he said. “The trucks barely fit.”

Given the garage’s 10-foot-wide doors, staff have to be careful driving the vehicles in and out so they don’t hit the sides of the building.

EMS Capt. Todd Czernich added that staff are unable to wash the vehicles inside the garage because of the compact space and the need for larger water tanks.

“We’ve outgrown the building,” Czernich said.

Moving to a new space is a major priority for Wolkenbreit.

“I think we have a decent fleet right now, good equipment, really good people. ... The bones are here,” he said.

The department has three full-time staff members including Wolkenbreit, and more than a dozen volunteers.

Another part of his plan is to make sure that staff members are “working a reasonable amount” and not overworking as they continue to give “a lot of themselves.” Therefore, Wolkenbreit said he will always be looking to actively recruit volunteers, which is a part of the growth he’s looking for within Northfield’s EMS department.

“I’m excited for being a part of this growth, this organization,” Wolkenbreit said, “and helping to realize the vision that so many people have been a part of for the last decade as it’s grown.”