Wednesday, May 19, 2021
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Vol. 50, No. 47
Milford (574) 658-4111 • Warsaw (574) 269-2932 • Syracuse (574) 457-3666
114 W. Market, Warsaw, Indiana 46580
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Lauding local heroes during
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They train for years to be ready in seconds. As dedicated public servants, they have sacrificially cut from the fabric of their lives the little daily decorations those they protect enjoy without a second thought: a solid night’s sleep, leisurely meals and shoes that lace. They ply their duties with a fierce sense of loyal camaraderie matched only by other front line heroes. This year’s 46th annual National EMS Week, May 16-22, celebrates the unwavering contributions of fire and EMS departments throughout the country. “I love my job,” stated Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory EMS Chief Chris Fancil. “We get to go out and help people having the worst time of their lives.” In 30 years as paramedic and firefighter, Fancil has seen both the expansion of EMS responsibilities and technological advancement. Modern ambulances are “rolling emergency departments,” Fancil commented, and their use has increased exponentially. “In the beginning, Warsaw did not make medical runs,” he said. By the 1990s there were roughly 450 per year. The number now is 2,800, and medical runs comprise 72% of the fire territory activity.
Fancil’s mantra is “do the right thing for the patient.” And with characteristic modesty, he emphasized teamwork, his role in a larger framework including Lutheran EMS and the hospitals the patient eventually reaches. Warsaw paramedics are often first on the scene, providing crucial pre-hospital care: IVs, breathing assistance, cardiac treatment and more. “We give the best care we can before Lutheran gets there … setting the stage for a great outcome.” Just being there, Fancil noted, can help calm the patient. “There is a sense of relief the patients have when we are there to help.” But when more help is needed, the department has been increasingly responsive, thanks in part to better equipment, like the recently acquired autopulse devices, which provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation and were purchased with a K21 Foundation grant. “These guys are very good at it.” So good, in fact, some individuals saved by the use of autopulse devices will be present at the June 20 meeting of the County Fire Association in North Webster. Fancil oversees departmental medical training, and he stressed the importance of continuing education, “adding value to what we do.” Currently, 20 fire territory paramedics have nearly completed six months of classroom
work to earn advanced EMT certification. Fancil also credits the mayor’s office, territory board, township trustee and Warsaw City Council, for being “very supportive … I think this community is really blessed.” Anyone can be involved in personally honoring the often unsung heroes in local first responder departments. Small pandemic-compliant gestures of gratitude may include: • Working with local businesses to donate gift cards to EMS personnel. • Taking boxed lunches, snacks or other meals to local fire stations and police and sheriff’s departments. • Hiring a food truck to provide local first responders with a meal or treat. • Writing a letter of thanks for the responders’ service to the community. • Making cash or in-kind donations to department fundraisers. They often use the proceeds to provide toys, stuffed animals, blankets and hygiene essentials to children and families displaced by a house fire. • Giving blood to help replenish a national supply severely depleted by the coronavirus pandemic. • Pooling resources to rent a billboard thanking first responders for their actions above and beyond the call of duty.