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.
“Accreditation by Massachusetts DPH set a high standard for EMT training and we are extremely pleased to have earned this accreditation,†said Brian K. Andrews, President of County Ambulance and Training Program Director for the ambulance service. “This 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.
“The accreditation process was only the beginning,†said Andrews “We 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. “The 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,†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.
“As 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,†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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Berkshire County Sheriff's Office Warns Public of Phone Scam
PITTSFIELD, Mass. —Berkshire County Sheriff Thomas Bowler is warning members of the community about an ongoing phone scam involving individuals falsely claiming to be employees of, or affiliated with, the Berkshire County Sheriff's Office.
The Sheriff's Office has received an increased number of calls from community members reporting that they were contacted by someone claiming to be a member of the Sheriff's Office from numbers with 413 area codes that sometimes show up on a caller ID as Berkshire County Sheriff's Department. During these calls, the caller claims the resident owes money for various reasons and attempts to collect payment. Scammers may request money orders, cashier checks, gift cards, or other items. Sometimes scammers will say a courier will come to a house to pick up the item or will request that account or gift card information be read over the phone.
The Berkshire County Sheriff's Office will never call a community member to demand or collect payment, request gift cards, or ask for. The Berkshire County Sheriff's Office will never send a courier to a resident's house. Residents should not assume a call is legitimate simply because the Sheriff's Office number appears on their caller ID.
Residents should not assume a call is legitimate simply because the Sheriff's Office number appears on their caller ID. The scammers are also spoofing the Berkshire County Sheriff's Office phone number, causing the legitimate number to appear on the recipient's caller ID in an effort to make the call appear authentic. Spoofing is when a scammer disguises a phone number, email address, or website to look like someone they know or a trusted agency's number.
"Scammers use fear, urgency, and the credibility of law enforcement to convince people that their demands are legitimate," said Sheriff Thomas Bowler. "If you receive a call like this, hang up. Do not provide personal or financial information, and do not send or transfer money."
Residents who receive a suspicious call should independently contact the Berkshire County Sheriff's Office at (413) 443-7220 to verify whether the call was legitimate. Do not use a phone number provided by the caller to verify their identity.
Sheriff Bowler urges residents to share this information with family members, friends, and neighbors, particularly those who may be more vulnerable to these types of scams.
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