ATTLEBORO, MA – The Attleboro Fire Department is announcing a transition in its Emergency Medical Services oversight to Dr. Michael Valkanas of Boston Medical Center South, establishing a new partnership aimed at advancing the department’s EMS system and continuing to improve the care provided to the Attleboro community.
Emergency Medical Services has evolved significantly over the past several decades. What was once primarily focused on transporting patients to the hospital has become a highly specialized component of healthcare. Today’s firefighter paramedics perform advanced patient assessments, administer lifesaving medications, interpret 12-lead electrocardiograms, manage complex airways and begin critical interventions within minutes of arriving on scene.
Unlike medicine practiced within the controlled environment of a hospital, prehospital medicine is delivered wherever an emergency occurs. Firefighter paramedics routinely treat critically ill and injured patients in homes, confined spaces, on highways, at fire scenes and in difficult environments where lighting, weather, access and available resources can all affect patient care.
Dr. Valkanas brings a unique understanding of those challenges. A former firefighter who continues to hold a paramedic license, he has firsthand experience with fire department operations and the realities of providing emergency medical care in the field. That background provides an important connection between physician-level medical oversight and the environment in which Attleboro firefighter paramedics actually operate.
The new relationship will also provide the Attleboro Fire Department with more direct access to its medical oversight. Department leadership, EMS personnel and Dr. Valkanas will be able to work collaboratively on clinical issues, training, quality improvement and the department’s short and long-term goals for advancing its EMS system.
Having dedicated medical oversight will allow the department to more efficiently develop and evaluate new initiatives, address department-specific needs and move special projects from concept to implementation. Rather than approaching EMS development through a one-size-fits-all model, the department can focus on programs and improvements that reflect Attleboro’s operations, personnel and the needs of the community.
Fire Chief Scott Lachance said the partnership represents an important investment in the future of the department’s EMS system. “Emergency Medical Services continues to evolve, and we want to make sure our department evolves with it,” said Chief Lachance. “Dr. Valkanas understands medicine, but just as importantly, he understands what it means to provide that medicine in the field. Our paramedics are treating patients in the dark, inside vehicles, on highways, in confined spaces and under conditions that are very different from a hospital setting. Having a medical director who understands those challenges gives us an opportunity to work together toward our goals and continue improving the care we provide our community.”
The Attleboro Fire Department responds to approximately 10,000 emergency calls annually, with Emergency Medical Services accounting for the majority of those responses. The department staffs three advanced life support ambulances, while firefighter paramedics assigned throughout the department help ensure advanced medical care can begin as soon as crews arrive.
The transition comes as the department establishes goals for the continued growth of its EMS division. Those goals focus on strengthening clinical capabilities, expanding training and education, improving the resources available to firefighter paramedics and identifying new ways to provide high-quality prehospital care.
Rather than representing a single change or initiative, the partnership with Dr. Valkanas establishes a framework for continued improvement. Through direct physician collaboration and an understanding of the realities of fire-based EMS, the Attleboro Fire Department will be better positioned to develop its EMS system while keeping its primary objective at the center of that work: providing the best possible care to the residents and visitors of Attleboro.
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