Ambulance Service
The North Andover Fire Department is the designated Emergency Ambulance Service Provider for the Town of
North Andover. Responding to 4,871 fire rescue & emergency medical calls in 2007, with two state certified Class 1 ambulances, one stationed at each of the two fire stations – Central Station at 124 Main Street and Station 2 at 9 Salem Street. Two Firefighter/Emergency Medical Technicians staff each of the ambulances. Since 1983 it is a job requirement that new firefighters must attain and maintain their EMT certification as a job requirement. If they are promoted to Lieutenant they may drop their certification. This certification is in Basic Life Support (BLS). Currently of the fifty-five uniformed personnel on the Department; the Chief, Deputy Chief, nine Lieutenants, and forty-eight firefighters, forty-nine are EMT’s.
Paramedic services are provided through the Lawrence General Hospital – Advanced Life Support Unit (ALS), which is dispatched according to protocol.
The ambulances, as well as, all fire department vehicles are equipped with semi-automatic defibrillators. The fire department has worked with others to expand the availability of defibrillators in public and private buildings. Thanks to the efforts of school head nurse Kate Vozeolas there are defibrillators in our schools.
EMT’s are trained in the use EPI-pens for the treatment of anaphylactic shock such as in reactions to food or insect bites.
Medical control is provided by the Lawrence General Hospital and EMT’s can utilize this resource in the treatment and care of the patient.
The department has a working relationship with Boston Med-Flight. The helicopter ambulance transport can respond in minutes. Fire department personnel can establish a safe landing zone proximate to the site of the injured and once safely loaded the helicopter can have those severely injured persons at medical facilities in Boston.
In terms of self-help training the department has American Heart certified CPR instructors.
Ambulance Cost – Since the mid-1980’s the fire department has charged for ambulance service. Our primary service is emergency patients of trauma or medical illness.
The Board of Selectmen at their regularly scheduled meeting sets the current rates annually in January. The current rates are as follows:
Basic Life Support Non-Emergency Rate $351.62
Basic Life Support Emergency Rate $562.59
Oxygen $81.02
Airways $196.79
Military Antishock Trousers (MAST) $115.75
Defibrillation $173.60
Mileage per loaded mile $21.96
In FY 2006 the fire department through its billing agent collected $768,266.74. These monies minus the payment to our billing company was deposited in the General Fund of the Town.
Persons who do not have the means to pay and/or fall below the Federal Hill-Burton poverty guidelines can request abatement through from the Ambulance abatement committee. The committee is comprised of the Fire Chief, Town Finance Director and the Assistant Town Manager. Those persons interested in applying can request the forms from the Administrative Assistant to the Fire Chief – Dianne Morrison at 978-688-9590 or in person 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM – Monday through Friday at the Central Fire Station – 124 Main Street.
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