2011 Town Report - Town of Ludlow

AMBULANCE SERVICEThe Department continued to provide paramedic level ambulance service to the Town. We are currently licensedfor, and operating, three paramedic level transport ambulances and one non-transport ambulance. Staffing isprovided by firefighters cross-trained as EMT’s. Currently, we have 19 EMT/Paramedics, 3 EMT/Intermediates,and 7 EMT/Basics.The Department continued its affiliation with Mercy Medical Center; Dr. Louis Durkin serves as our MedicalDirector.The Department responded to 2,405 emergency medical calls in 2011, an increase of 2.1% over the previous year.Billing for ambulance services rendered totaled $1,415,702.00, an increase of 7.7% from 2010. Ambulancerevenues are deposited to the Town’s General Fund.Thanks in part to changes voted upon at the Annual Town Meeting in May, the Ambulance Subscription Programcontinues to be successful. The $40.00 subscription fee covers any unpaid balance that an insurance company doesnot pay for emergency ambulance services provided by the Ludlow Fire Department Ambulance Service to Ludlowresidents enrolled in the program. All residents living in the same household are covered under one subscriptionpayment. 2,269 households subscribed to this program during 2011, resulting in $90,760.00 being deposited to theAmbulance Subscription Fund. Balances remaining in this fund are used to offset ambulance service capitalexpenses.The Fire Department applied for, and was successfully awarded, a Federal Assistance to Firefighters Grant in theamount of $115,500.00 for the purpose of replacing our current cardiac monitor/defibrillators - two are ten years oldand the third is seven years old. The new monitors will have advanced capabilities - EKG Trending, which allowsparamedics to more easily diagnose EKG changes, and Carbon Monoxide Level monitoring, which will improvepatient outcomes and firefighter safety on the fireground. Grant funding also includes a five year service contract,ensuring that the devices remain at peak operational readiness. The cardiac monitor replacement project is expectedto be completed by the spring of 2012.EMERGENCY MANAGEMENTFire Chief Mark Babineau serves as the Town’s Emergency Management Director. Duties include coordinating allemergency management and response activities during Town wide emergencies and events, serving on the Town’sEmergency Planning Committee, updating the Town’s Comprehensive Emergency Response Plan, coordinatingmandated National Incident Management Training for employees and officials, and serving as the point of contactbetween the Massachusetts and Federal Emergency Management Agencies.In August, a new Town wide mass notification system, Blackboard Connect, was implemented. The system allowsTown officials to create and immediately disseminate important safety and time sensitive information, includingextreme weather warnings, safety warnings, road closures, Amber Alerts and other important information. Thesystem was used throughout the aftermath of the October Nor’easter delivering important public safety messagesincluding safety warnings, shelter information and updates from WMECO regarding power restoration efforts to ourresidents. The majority of the funding required to implement this system was provided by grants and donations,with the balance from Town funds.For the first time in years the Town’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was activated. The first activationoccurred in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Irene on Saturday, August 27. Fortunately, we avoided a directhit, and with minimal need, de-activated on Sunday, August 28. The second activation occurred in response to theOctober Nor’easter. The EOC was activated during the early morning hours of Sunday, October 30 and remainedopen through Monday, November 7. Daily meetings with Department Heads, Town and State Officials, and utilitycompanies and contractors were held to coordinate immediate response actions and recovery efforts. Topics81