Emergency Medical Services
The Hanover Fire Department provides emergency medical services to the Town of Hanover. The Fire Department delivers advanced life support pre-hospital care to residents and visitors 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The department operates three advanced life support transporting ambulances. Additionally, Engine 7 is equipped to operate at the advanced life support level.
Career members of the department are cross-trained to provide both fire and emergency medical services when necessary. Career staffing includes 25 members licensed as paramedics and 4 members licensed as EMT’s. Call Firefighters operate as Emergency Medical Responders (EMR).
EMS Coordinator
Firefighter/Paramedic Rich Salvucci
richard.salvucci@hanover-ma.gov
781-826-3151 ext. 3120
Mobile Integrated Health and Community EMS
Mobile Integrated Health Care (MIH) and Community EMS are new programs that utilize mobile resources to deliver care and services to patients in an out‐of‐hospital environment in coordination with healthcare facilities or other healthcare providers. In April of 2020, the Hanover Fire Department obtained a temporary waiver from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to provide Mobile Integrated Health Services to the Town of Hanover in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. In collaboration with South Shore Health Systems, Hanover Visiting Nurse, Hanover Public Health, Hanover Public Schools Health Services, Hanover Community Services and the Hanover Emergency Communications Center, the Town of Hanover is able to provide a comprehensive program that includes assessment and COVID-19 testing by Hanover Fire Department Paramedics with individualized follow-up by nursing staff from the Hanover Visiting Nurse. In September of 2020, Hanover's MIH Program shifted focus to supporting the safe and continued operation of public schools in Hanover. COVID-19 Testing was provided twice to all faculty and staff prior to school opening. To enable schools to stay open, Hanover's MIH Program along with nursing staff from Hanover Public Schools is able to provide assessment and COVID-19 testing to faculty, staff, students, and immediate family.
In September of 2020, the Hanover Fire Department received formal approval from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to allow paramedics to assist public health with the administration of flu vaccines and other immunizations as necessary. This Community EMS Program further enables Hanover Paramedics working as part of our MIH program to staff public flu clinics and also, if necessary, provide immunizations in the home setting under the direction of Hanover Public Health.
Hanover Fire In The News
- Town of Hanover, South Shore Health Partner to Expand Mobile Integrated Health
- Hanover Fire Department Brings COVID-19 Testing to Residents
- Hanover Paramedics Make House Calls to Test Residents for COVID-19
- School Staff Put to the Test
For more information, please visit the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
EMS Special Care Plans
Hanover Fire Department Paramedics and EMT's treat and care for sick and injured patients based on a formalized scope of practice and standard protocols. From time to time, residents in our community have a unique medical situation or circumstance that requires special attention or slight deviation from our typical treatment options. Our EMS Special Care Plan Program enables residents and family members of those patients to notify the Fire Department prior to a medical response and discuss treatment options and plans that may be necessary if and when we are called. The EMS Special Care Plan Program is a low tech method of providing EMS responders with critical and specific information when they arrive on-scene.
The family of a resident who may benefit from this program may meet with fire department staff to discuss the medical issue. A high visibility binder is created that contains pertinent patient demographic information, EMS treatment plans specific to that patient and their medical issue, any relative information from a primary care physician or specialist, and additional information that will be helpful to EMS providers. A notation is also made in our computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system that will allow dispatchers to notify responding paramedics and EMT's about the special care plan so they are prepared to receive the binder from a family member upon arrival at the incident. Once the fire department arrives on-scene, the family simply hands over the binder to the responders. This significantly improves patient care by providing a clear and specific treatment plan for a unique medical situation. It also provides sufficient pertinent information so those family members, who may already be stressed because of the situation, are not burdened by paramedics or EMT's asking multiple questions as they try to gather information.
Hanover Fire In The News
For additional information about the EMS Special Care Plan Program, please contact Deputy Cavallaro, jason.cavallaro@hanover-ma.gov or 781-826-3151 ext. 3202.
EMS Certification and Training
All Hanover Firefighters are trained to provide Basic Life Support CPR through the American Heart Association.
Paramedics are certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) through the American Heart Association.
Paramedics and EMT's are required to complete a specific amount of training each year in accordance with local, state and national requirements. Additionally, our Medical Control Director requires specific courses and training be completed including Monthly M&M Rounds and an annual Simulation Lab.
Handtevy Pediatric Emergency Standards
In October of 2019, the Department began utilizing Handtevy Pediatric Emergency Standards. Handtevy uses a mobile application that has been customized to Hanover Fire. Design is based on pre-existing statewide treatment protocols in conjunction with medication dosing and concentrations currently carried in Hanover ambulances. The application has been installed on smartphones and dedicated iPads in all Department ambulances. Paramedics can access critical treatment information while responding to the call and when on-scene simply by plugging in the patient's age. The system then gives appropriate medication dosages and equipment sizes based on the situation.
Equipment
The Department prides itself on being a progressive leader in the delivery of pre-hospital emergency medical services. Advanced equipment includes:
- Zoll X-Series Cardiac Monitor/Defibrillator
- 12 Lead EKG Hospital Transmission Capabilities
- EZ IO Device
- Lucas Mechanical CPR Device
- Nearly 30 medications for cardiac, seizure, diabetic, endocrine, and other medical problems
- ESO ePCR Documentation Software
- Handtevy Pediatric Emergency Standards®
- Styker Pro-XT Power Stretcher & Power-LOAD System
All Department apparatus carry basic medical and first-aid equipment including oxygen and automated external defibrillators (AED).