WARSAW — Fire Chief Michael Wilson announced that certain trained firefighters will now be able to provide additional emergency medical support during the Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory meeting held on Tuesday, Oct. 3.

The department received a waiver to the rules of the EMS Commission and state law that now allows firefighters who are trained as Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians to provide additional support. During emergency responses, these trained individuals will now be allowed to start IV ports, administer medication, provide breathing treatments and other life-saving measures all before an ambulance arrived to the scene.

“We can start treating people immediately,” explained Wilson. “This is a good deal for the community. We aren’t just a fire service anymore, we are an emergency service.”

Currently, the department has 11 firefighters on staff who already possess the adequate training. Since receiving the waiver, five more firefighters have expressed interest in the extra training.

Wilson also gave the board an update on the new fire station. Construction is expected to begin next week. Instead of doing a typical groundbreaking ceremony, the department will be hosting a final beam ceremony. Community members will be invited to sign the final beam of the structure and celebrate the completion of the project.

In other news:

• In August, the department responded to seven fire calls, none of these were structure fires.
• The monthly fund reports were approved by the board. The only expense discussed was regarding upgrading pager equipment and mobile radios.