The town of Wareham’s Emergency Medical Services has strengthened its fleet with the addition of a third ambulance and significant upgrades to existing trucks, thanks to a $219,110 grant from Southcoast Health.

“Southcoast Health’s most recent investment in our community demonstrates their continued commitment to the town of Wareham,” Evans said. “All of this, combined with Southcoast’s $25 million emergency department expansion project at Tobey, ensures that the area’s residents will receive the highest-quality care and treatment from the very moment our first responders receive a distress call.”

Adding a third ambulance to the fleet will have an “immediate positive impact on response times, said Emergency Medical Services Director David Evans.

The other two ambulances will be retrofitted with Power Pro XT cots, which are designed with a hydraulic lift. The grant also includes funding for four new stop-the-bleed kits as well as the HANDTEVY pediatric resuscitation system, officials announced. 

“Our paramedics, EMTs, firefighters, and other first responders need and deserve every possible advantage when it comes to the truly amazing work they do day in and day out,” said State Rep. Susan Williams Gifford. “When not-for-profit charitable health systems like Southcoast step up and help municipalities gain those advantages through grants and alliances, there are far-reaching benefits throughout the community. Improving public health one patient at a time takes teamwork, and we are seeing that in action here.”

 Southcoast Health President and CEO Keith Hovan agreed.    

“We are grateful for our regional EMS partnerships, and we know that strong collaboration and state-of-the-art advanced life support equipment can improve patient outcomes and ultimately save more lives,” Hovan said. “Working together, we will continue to address the critical needs of our most vulnerable residents – and continue making a meaningful impact on the health and wellness of southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.”