BANGOR, Maine — The Bangor Fire Department is adding its first EMS-only paramedic positions as medical call volume continues to rise and fire calls decline.
The new fire medic roles are intended to help meet growing demand for emergency medical care while easing the workload on firefighters, News Center Maine reported.
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At the Bangor Fire Department, emergency medical care has traditionally been handled by firefighter/paramedics. Fire paramedics Amber Totilas and Charlotte Duncan are now stepping in as the department’s first EMS-only crew.
“Having just a paramedic role really allows us to focus on just the medicine,” Duncan said.
Since starting nearly two weeks ago, Totilas and Duncan have been responding to up to eight calls a day during 10-hour shifts, four days a week. Totilas said the EMS-only roles let paramedics focus on medical calls while keeping firefighters available for fire emergencies.
“It also frees up the firefighters for their dual role capabilities for those true fire-related incidents,” Division Chief Jeremy Ogden said.
Ogden said Bangor firefighter/paramedics responded to more than 9,000 medical calls in 2025, making up roughly 85% to 90% of the department’s call volume.
That demand helped drive the one-year EMS-only pilot program, which is being funded within the department’s current budget.
Ogden said the department hopes to add two more EMS-only positions this summer to help meet growing demand for medical calls.
Would EMS-only paramedic positions help your agency handle rising medical call volume, or do you think cross-trained firefighter/paramedics are still the best model?
EMS1 readers respond
“Bangor FD firefighters are probably jumping for joy that they will no longer have to do EMS. The vast majority of firefighters in this country, or probably anywhere, do not want to do EMS. Some budget cutting bureaucrats discovered if you have firefighters do EMS then you are having them do two jobs for the price of one. EMS needs to be a sworn service and have parity with police and fire.”
“I believe it is a great benefit to add single role paramedics. It will satisfy and increase recruitment. There are many providers who want to remain as paramedics only and not become a firefighter. This will open up more employment opportunities for them. They are more likely to be a more focused provider than a cross trained provider. I believe it will allow more versatility in the industry for fire departments.”
“EMS only divisions within a fire department are truly the best way to go. Most Fire medics only do the EMS role because it’s a job requirement. Not because they enjoy the medicine.”
