NORTHFIELD — Thanks in part to a $48,215 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Emergency Rural Health Care Grant Program, Northfield EMS welcomed a new custom-built ambulance this month.
The grant program, which supports access to rural health care services, COVID-19 testing and vaccines, and food assistance through food bank distribution facilities, covered 15% of the total ambulance cost of $321,434. The remaining costs for the 2022 Horton Class I Type I ambulance came from the EMS Enterprise Fund and the Ambulance Donation Account, with the funding use being approved at Northfield’s Annual Town Meeting in 2022.
Northfield EMS took to Facebook on June 21 to announce the arrival of the new vehicle, which was ordered through Greenwood Emergency Vehicles in North Attleboro and marks the third ambulance in the Northfield EMS fleet. According to EMS Chief Mark Fortier, the new ambulance provides “a larger size of paramedic-level service to help provide better patient care” and will also allow for “more availability of services to our district.”
Between 2019 and 2022, EMS responses increased from 460 to 826. In addition to its service to Northfield, Northfield EMS has agreements to respond to calls in Bernardston, Erving and Gill.
Although the department’s 2007 ambulance meets its needs, Fortier said that because Northfield EMS has “continued to increase its level of service and call volume,” the 2017 ambulance sees most of the miles. The 2007 model won’t be retired with the new addition’s arrival; rather, it will be used as a last resort if the department needs all three vehicles to respond to emergencies simultaneously.
Fortier said Northfield’s Grant Development Director Mallory Sullivan, who was hired in October 2022, “did all the legwork” necessary for the town to receive the USDA grant, including submitting the application.
“We’re really grateful that the USDA is providing funds in an expansive way to allow our volunteer EMS to provide services to over 8,500 people,” said Sullivan, referring to the combined population of the four towns in Northfield EMS’ coverage area. “It really means that we are able to respond quicker and can use this new ambulance to respond to residents’ needs.”