Background

Hilltown Community Ambulance Association, Inc. (HCAA) was established in November, 2001 to provide ambulance service to Blandford, Chester, Huntington, Montgomery and Russell. On July 1, 2002 Worthington became part of our service area. More than 8,300 people reside in the six communities. HCAA has the largest emergency ambulance coverage area in Massachusetts, approximately 200 sq. miles.

HCAA is a non-profit corporation governed by a volunteer board of directors. There is at least one director for each town in the service area. In addition there is one director from Hilltown Community Health Center and one from the Massachusetts State Police Dispatch Control in Northampton.

Day to day operations are managed by a service director who is responsible to the board of directors.

HCAA is staffed by two full time and several volunteer emergency medical technicians (EMTs). All are well trained and highly skilled. They stand ready to provide quality emergency services at any time. They care for accident and injury victims and people who suffer medical emergencies. We are proud of out staff for its professionalism and dedication. Our patients have been very complimentary about the care they have been given by the HCAA EMT's.

In 2007, the Hilltown Community Ambulance Association, Inc. (HCAA) once again experienced an increase in call volume. Within the six communities we serve, there were 534 requests for service, up from 502 calls in 2006. This brings to a close our fourth year with a call volume in excess of 500.

Operating out of our 1 Bromley Road office, the HCAA maintains a staff of two Full-Time EMT Intermediates, two Part-Time Basic EMTs, a Part-Time Paramedic Service Director, and twenty-two on-call/ volunteer EMTs. Our Full-Time EMTs, in combination with the two Part-Time EMTs, staff one ambulance Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm. With this staffing, we also provide one on-duty EMT weekends, utilizing on-call staff to provide the second necessary EMT. As has been the situation since our inception, the remaining hours are covered by on-call/ volunteer EMTs who reside in our six member communities.

The year 2007 marked an historic moment for our organization. In December, we were able to purchase our first new ambulance since we were incorporated in 2001. A 2007 Ford/ Horton Ambulance was purchased from Greenwood Emergency Vehicles, for $135,717. This vehicle replaced our 1997 ambulance, and was purchased with no direct cost increase to the communities we serve. With this purchase, we now operate a 2000 Ford/ Road Rescue ambulance, and a 2007 Ford/ Horton ambulance.

Also in 2007, the HCAA completed the acquisition of the necessary equipment and documentation to operate an Intermediate Level Ambulance. With the completion of an inspection by the Commonwealth Office of EMS, and a staff adjustment, we shall have an ALS ambulance in service in the near future.

In December, the HCAA witnessed the retirement of Board of Directors President Christopher K. McCarty, of Worthington. A founding member of our organization, Mr. McCarty contributed countless hours toward securing quality emergency medical care for the citizens of the hilltowns. The organization will be forever grateful for his time and tireless effort.

As we look at this past year, we find that the HCAA has now found itself among the national trend concerning the decline in volunteer staff. In the past, as with the local fire departments, we have relied on the availability of volunteers to staff our vehicles. In 2007, our organization relied in on-call/ volunteers for 524 hours of actual calls. These hours transition to approximately one third of our calls. These volunteer hours have declined by over 100 in the past two years, and left us with an increased number of calls utilizing mutual aid.

In light of this, the HCAA will increase its on-duty staffing beginning July 1, 2008. With this we will place a second on-duty EMT at our Bromley Road office 8am to 4pm weekends. This will provide us with a full on-duty EMT crew 8am to 4pm, 7 days a week. In addition, the HCAA wishes to open discussion with citizens, community leaders, and industry experts to discuss further EMT coverage increases.

In 2001, we were established as an organization built on the backbone of the communities. We have always, and will continue to accept questions, comments, concerns, or other forms of citizen input. In addition, we are always looking for individuals interested in joining our organization. The HCAA is available on the internet via www.hilltownambulance.com, via e-mail to hilltown@comcast.net, and via phone at our Bromley Road office 667-3277. We encourage all to visit our website, and learn further about our operation.

In closing, the Hilltown Community Ambulance Association wishes to thank all of the citizens who have supported us throughout this past year. Community support is crucial to our continued success, and something for which we are grateful. We would especially like to recognize our EMTs, who have provided quality care to the citizens of Blandford, Chester, Huntington, Montgomery, Russell, and Worthington.

Respectfully Submitted,

The Board of Directors of the Hilltown Community Ambulance