WINTHROP 一 Town Manager Anthony Marino, Town Council President Jim Letterie, Fire Chief Scott Wiley, and Police Chief Terence Delehanty report that leaders from the Town of Winthrop met with Action Ambulance Service Inc. on Monday afternoon to discuss emergency medical services and ambulance services in Winthrop.
Chief Wiley noted that the town has been satisfied with Action Ambulance’s services, which contractually include keeping two ambulances in the Town of Winthrop to respond to medical emergencies.
The Massachusetts Office of Emergency Medical Services is investigating Friday’s incident in which an ambulance was not available to respond to an emergency call for a child in cardiac arrest, and Action Ambulance and the Town of Winthrop are both cooperating fully with that ongoing investigation.
A preliminary analysis of the facts and circumstances show that both Winthrop Ambulances were attending to other patients who were Winthrop Residents and transporting them to area hospitals. No other mutual aid ambulances were available. The mutual aid system, which Action must provide ambulances to under state law, has repeatedly pulled ambulances based in Winthrop out of town for calls in other communities, leaving the town with fewer than two ambulances to respond to calls at times.
Under state law, if an Action ambulance stationed in Winthrop is needed at a medical emergency in another community, Action Ambulance cannot decline the call. Action is also prohibited by state law from prioritizing calls for service once an ambulance has been dispatched. Likewise, ambulance services in other communities cannot decline to send ambulances to Winthrop if they are available.
Participants in the meeting discussed potential ways to improve the mutual aid system and to improve cooperation between Action Ambulance and other local ambulance services.
Participants also agreed to work together on staffing issues and on identifying additional resources that can be diverted to emergencies.
Next steps will include reaching out to state and legislative leaders to start discussions on how to solve issues with the mutual aid system.
“Our community is eager for information, and I want to thank Action Ambulance for their honest and open dialogue today,” Town Manager Marino said. “Our hearts collectively pour out for the family in mourning today, and we pledge to be open and transparent with our residents and with state officials.”