Residents have long depended on the Dudley Fire Department for fire emergencies. Now, they can look to it for help with serious medical emergencies as well.
Last month, the department earned its first state license for Paramedic Advanced Life Support, the highest level of emergency medical care available.
The elevation in status came after six members completed a rigorous year and a half of training. They are: Fire Chief Jeffrey E. Phelps, Richard Scanlon, Scott Benoit, Lyle McKay, Brian Ceccarelli and Erik Spahl.
The department will provide 12 hours a day of paramedic-level coverage, exceeding the state requirement of at least eight hours a day. Patients experiencing breathing restrictions, severe pain or other symptoms of distress will receive on-site or in-transit treatment. Previously, Dudley residents needing advanced emergency care before reaching the hospital waited for paramedics from nearby communities to arrive.
Chief Phelps said he�s wanted the upgrade for many years. The department had been licensed at the Intermediate Advanced Life Support level since 1980.
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