WESTFIELD — Westfield Fire Department launched a new Community Paramedic program this month.
It aims to help bridge the gap between emergency response and ongoing healthcare needs.
Walter Rippy is leading the program.
He brings 22 years as an EMT and 6 years as a paramedic to the table.
“No call is the same, every call is different. Never know when the tones gonna drop and where we’re gonna go, what kinda pace we’re gonna encounter," Rippy said.
The Community Paramedic program focuses on chronic disease management, reducing ER visits and connecting patients to resources.
“It’s aiming to keep patients out of the hospital, decrease the amount of 911 calls, as well as, we respond to psych runs, drug overdose runs," he said.
Westfield is growing.
EMS Division Chief Patrick Hutchison says his department is expanding to meet the need.
“With the area growing so rapidly currently about 15 to 20 percent of the population is age 65 and older and that’s projected to grow with the boom of construction," Hutchison said.
Westfield is one of the few fire departments with a full time social worker on its team.
Rippy says this allows his WFD to address mental health, substance use and more beyond the emergency call.
“Most important thing is getting the information out to the public and letting them know that we’re out here and letting them know what’s going on," he said.
