The Chapel Hill Fire Department is now certified to deliver Emergency Medical Technician services to patients in the field.
The certification is a culmination of nearly two years of preparation and training through a partnership with Orange County Emergency Services.
Captain Jake Sinkiewicz, who was instrumental in making this change, has already seen the added service make a positive impact.
“Between the new equipment and the training, we’ve been able to make more advanced, pre-hospital practitioner-like decisions,” said Sinkiewicz. “It’s been a good impact thus far.”
Firefighters are now able to provide more advanced ways of ventilating and oxygenating patients suffering from respiratory complications and provide medications to patients in anaphylaxis, asthma attacks or opioid overdoses, including the delivery of Naloxone for overdoses.
CHFD Chief Matt Sullivan says that the department is open to furthering their training if the need arises.
“We’re going to continue to monitor the program and if there is an indication that we need to increase our service level even further, we’ll do that,” said Sullivan.
WCHL’s Aaron Keck spoke with Chief Sullivan and Captain Sinkiewicz.
In the past year the Chapel Hill Fire Department has responded to more that 1,450 EMS calls.
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