Waupun Fire Department To Offer Emergency Medical Responder Services

(Waupun) The Waupun Fire Department will soon be offering Emergency Medical Responder Services. EMR’s are part of the overall Emergency Medical Services system and are dispatched when an ambulance is called to provide initial patient care. The EMR’s can provide care until the ambulance is on scene or assist paramedics once they arrive – performing a variety of live-saving interventions such as bleeding control, defibrillation, rescue breathing and administering certain medications. The service will be available starting February 1st.

Fire Chief BJ DeMaa says they have been blessed with an amazing group of 11 individuals who just completed eight months of schooling and training. Which includes defibrillator use, the administration of medication such as epinephrine and albuterol, breathing assistance, and blood glucose checks, among many other topics.

DeMaa says four of the 11 came from the fire department while the other seven were new hires approved by the common council. He says they will be paid-on-call and are given an annual stipend. The chief adds that their goal is to hire a total of 15 individuals for EMR services.

The City of Waupun is the hub of the Waupun Ambulance District within Fond du Lac County. The service territory of that District not only covers the City of Waupun but also includes the Townships of Alto, Metomen, Oakfield, Springvale, and Waupun, and the Villages of Brandon and Oakfield. The Dodge County Township of Chester and northeast portion of the Township of Trenton also fall within this district.

DeMaa says in the last year, the district has experienced an 18-percent increase in 911 ambulance calls. He says their contracted provider for the District, Lifestar, only has so many units available to respond to calls. He says in the instances when the call volume is exceeding the ambulance capacity, they found that some where waiting up to 20 to 30 minutes for emergency services from another city. DeMaa says they owe it to their citizens to ensure no gaps exist when they call 911. Lifestar Emergency Medical Services will remain as the contracted paramedic service in the district.

DeMaa says they have evolved into an “all-hazards” department and respond to a wide-variety of incidents involving fires, accidents, water rescues, and the list could go on. He says as of 12:01am on February 1st, their agency can add medical care to that list.