County Ambulance announces two major developments

12:00AM / Monday, October 16, 2006Print Story | Email Story

The Training Division of County Ambulance has achieved accreditation from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Office of Emergency Medical Services (MDPH-OEMS), allowing the return of Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training to the Central and Southern Berkshire County area. This type of training has been absent in the area since the state DPH began requiring accreditation for training institutions in 2005. County Ambulance has also announced that it will be the exclusive provider of chaircar and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) transportation for the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority (BRTA). The BRTA initiated a request for proposals to provide the service earlier this year, which resulted in inquiries from throughout the county. County Ambulance was selected from among four transportation vendors who submitted proposals to be the sole provider of para-transit service for the BRTA. The Massachusetts DPH instituted the accreditation process to ensure that emergency medical technician training conducted in Massachusetts was of a quality and consistency that ensure competent EMTs are certified. This process also ensures training institutions continually evaluate the quality of their training and seek ways to improve the training provided. Accreditation is valid for three years at which time a revaluation of the training institution is performed. â€œAccreditation by Massachusetts DPH set a high standard for EMT training and we are extremely pleased to have earned this accreditation,â€ said Brian K. Andrews, President of County Ambulance and Training Program Director for the ambulance service. â€œThis accreditation means the return of long absent EMT training in the Central and Southern Berkshire area, which has been a stumbling block to the infusion of new EMTs into our system and which has especially impacted volunteer ambulance services.â€ The Massachusetts DPH examines resources, processes, outputs, and outcomes of a training institution as part of the evaluation process. Accreditation involves an extensive application process that includes the review of the many documents and policies that an institution must have in place. The evaluation process culminates with an on-site visit by a team from the DPH who meet with staff and evaluate training materials, including equipment, while also conducting a review of the training process. County Ambulance will immediately institute training programs and has announced the first such program, EMT-Basic for November 2, 2006. Interested applicants should call County Ambulance at 413-499-2527 or visit the office at 175 Wahconah St. in Pittsfield. â€œThe accreditation process was only the beginning,â€ said Andrews â€œWe will be constantly be striving for improvement and will be looking to be the leaders in emergency training in the region to drive that effort.â€ In regard to the paratransit services for the BRTA, County Ambulance had contracted with the transit agency for over twenty years to provide these services with multiple vendors. â€œThe demand for this service has exploded in the last twenty years and the BRTA felt there was a need to contract with one vendor to better manage the cost while maintaining high quality service,â€ said Andrews. Proposals received by the BRTA were evaluated by a committee that included BRTA Advisory Board Members and representatives from area organizations serving people with disabilities. Based upon established criteria, the evaluation committee selected County Ambulance as the firm with the most qualified proposal. Evaluation included review of an extensive proposal detailing how County Ambulance would provide the service as well as an oral presentation by Andrews and members of his management staff. â€œAs a leader in transportation services for our special needs population in Berkshire County, our service was already providing the majority of transports for the BRTA and with a high rate of quality. I am greatly pleased that the BRTA has selected County Ambulance as the sole vendor of this important service,â€ said Andrews. As a result of the exclusive contract with the BRTA, County Ambulance has significantly invested in new equipment and personnel. The company recently purchased five new chaircars to provide the increased number of transports that are required. County has also added four full-time and two part-time staff and may add additional full-time personnel as the program continues to expand. County Ambulance is a locally-owned and family operated ambulance service in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The company has been in operation since 1982 and is currently the largest provider of both ambulance and chaircar service in the Berkshire County area.

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Dalton Association Purchasing Ladder Truck for Fire Department

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:48PM / Sunday, March 01, 2026

DALTON, Mass. —The Fire Department may once again have a ladder truck thanks to a donation from the Dalton Fireman's Association.

During the Board of Water Commissioners meeting on Monday, the donation was presented to the board by interim Chief Chris Cachat.

The department has been without a ladder truck for two years. It's had two ladder trucks since its establishment and both were obtained from other departments.

"We brought them to town, we made them our own, and a lot of people put a lot of hard work into it, and it became part of us … It really took the hit of morale when we didn't have our ladder truck anymore, and it kind of lingered for a year or so," Cachat said.

"We understand the financial responsibilities we have towards the district and the taxpayers of Dalton. We had a meeting with our Dalton Firemen's Association, and we discussed possibilities of what we could possibly do to help out the district, the town of Dalton, and the Fire Department."

The association decided to donate the funds generated by its fundraising efforts, including the carnival, and use it to purchase a ladder truck, he said.

"We would be very proud to accept that truck. We know how much the association means to the Dalton Fire Department and the citizens of Dalton. You guys have always stepped up," board Chair James Driscoll said.

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