The new leadership at Greater Valley EMS is taking an aggressive stance in response to the local and costal effects of Hurricane Sandy. In addition to an increase in volume of 911 calls in the Valley, responders are required to ramp up their situational & safety awareness due to potentially dangerous conditions. Operations Director and Paramedic, Derrick Hall has increased staffing to meet the increased demand to include two basic life support, two paramedic life support ambulances and a dedicated stand-by crew for both Rescue 7 and the Dive team. The company is also providing EMS support to flood-ravaged New Jersey.
Two paramedic-led crews are being deployed to New Jersey at the request of the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Their primary responsibility will be to respond to 911 emergency calls, water rescues, and to relieve the already taxed EMS providers, many of whom have been victims of the devastation themselves. The crews are a part of the larger, Region 1 EMS Strike Team, specially trained to perform their jobs for an extended period of time and essentially carry enough provisions onboard their ambulances to be self-sufficient for the duration. This particular deployment is a five- to seven-day mission dependent on need.
New CEO Chuck Bement is no stranger to disaster response as he led the Region One EMS Strike team response to Louisiana following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. "Our responders are trained up and ready for the additional hazards and unique rescue situations that await them in a situation like this," Bement said.
Submitted by Greater Valley EMS.
