As a 43-year veteran of the fire service, Robert Jordan has interacted with emergency medical services personnel on many occasions. But, he admits, he never fully understood what EMS operations were all about until a call from Exeter Township officials changed all that.
“They informed me that Exeter Ambulance Association was getting out of the 9-1-1 business and inquired if the Exeter Township Fire Department would be interested in taking it over.”
Jordan, who is chief of the fire department, accepted the challenge but, he stressed, “I’m not an EMS person. I’m a fire guy. I now had to learn quickly about EMS operations.”
Folding the EMS operations into the fire department, it turned out, was harder than the 2009 merger of the Reifton and Stonersville fire companies into the present Exeter Fire Department, Jordan admitted.
During the start-up phase – from March through September of last year – Exeter FD EMS first had to undergo a training and familiarization period. During this time, the neighboring Muhlenberg Ambulance Association stepped in to provide ambulances, medical equipment and personnel
In the meantime, Jordan and his staff were faced with a long list of requirements.
“We spent hours on research to get a thorough understanding of EMS rules and regulations. We sought out advice and recommendations from neighboring ambulance squads. We had to secure licensure and permits and, needless to say, we needed a full complement of ambulances, medical equipment and trained personnel. Finally, on Sept. 17, the EMS division became ‘fully loaded,'” recalls Jordan.
Today, six months after the squad hit the ground running, Jordan – who also wears the hat of EMS Division chief – said he was “very pleased with how things are going.”
In October, the department hosted a meet-and-greet with the public at the Reifton station.
“It was,” he said, “a safety and awareness day. We had our firetrucks and ambulances on display, along with our tools and medical equipment. Our big emphasis, of course, was introducing our new EMS division. It was a great opportunity to explain why we took on the EMS service and how it will benefit area residents.”
The EMS division has two ambulances on duty during daytime hours and one at night. Jordan estimated within the division’s 28-square mile service area, the division will field about 2,500 calls annually.
