Residents seek medical upgrade
Craig S. Semon
Telegram & Gazette (Massachusetts)
Copyright 2007 Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
STURBRIDGE, Mass. — A resident who was astonished to find out that the town has no paramedics made an impassioned plea for a change in that status.
Prefacing her statement to the Board of Selectmen that she has the “utmost respect” for Fire Chief Leonard Senecal and Police Chief Thomas J. Ford III, as well as the firefighters and officers, Ann Marie Argitis of 210 Hemlock Drive said she learned that Sturbridge has no paramedics during a recent family emergency, which, she added, “fortunately resulted in a favorable outcome.”
“During this emergency, I was made aware of something that I was not aware of before and I know that many town people are not aware of,” she said. “Sturbridge has EMTs and not paramedics.”
En route to Harrington Memorial Hospital in Southbridge, she said, her family was met and assisted by paramedics from Brimfield who came into the ambulance and assisted Sturbridge emergency medical technicians.
David P. Peterkin, an EMT basic in Sturbridge, said last night the difference between an EMT and a paramedic is that the paramedic can monitor and provide drugs en route to a hospital.
After some investigative work, Mrs. Argitis said she found there are paramedics in Brimfield, Charlton and Warren, while Southbridge is in the process of training personnel to become paramedics.
“It seems to me that a town of nearly 10,000 citizens, that are paying good tax dollars, should be equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and the very best trained personnel that is possible,” Mrs. Argitis said. “I understand that it is a cost of about $6,000 to $7,000 to train a person to be a paramedic and then an additional cost to equip the ambulance properly. This is very costly; however, it is essential.”
Mrs. Argitis said she would be ready to help raise money for what she believes is a much-needed service.
Also during her statement, Mrs. Argitis made a quick reference about how grateful she and her family were with firefighters’ response to the 10-alarm fire on Aug. 13, 2001, at G&F Industries, which is owned by her husband, John G. Argitis. About 150 firefighters from two dozen fire departments in Central Massachusetts helped battle the fire at the plastic molding company on Route 20 near the Brimfield line.
Town Administrator James J. Malloy said a subcommittee in the Fire Department is working to find what the costs are to have, “24-7 paramedic service” in town, which he predicted would be in the $100,000 to $200,000 range. He said an update will be presented by the end of March.