SOUTH DEERFIELD — South County EMS has a new location on Greenfield Road and something it has long desired — a permanent home.
The 88 Greenfield Road home base opened Saturday, culminating a roughly four-year process to find a permanent location for the regional medical services provider, according to South County EMS Director Zachary Smith. The building was built by Deerfield Academy and will be the central location from which EMS personnel will respond to emergencies in Deerfield, Whately and Sunderland.
The building is new construction with three ambulance bays, secure storage for medications and supplies carried on ambulances, crew quarters, office space and a conference room for EMS professional training, Smith said.
“This facility provides our staff with the space they need to accomplish their tasks and to also recuperate, and offers respite after difficult calls,” Smith said.
The site is centrally located to Deerfield, Whately and Sunderland — the three towns the EMS agency services. Previously, South County EMS had four different locations, one in each of the South Deerfield, Whately and Sunderland fire stations, and another in Deerfield Town Hall.
This separation made it difficult for the providers at times, Smith said, since they would have to travel in their personal vehicles to check equipment, and if additional or new equipment was needed they would have to go to the South Deerfield Fire Department for it.
Now, these additional steps aren’t needed.
“Now it’s one-stop shopping. They don’t have to drive 10 miles for equipment — now they can walk 10 feet,” Smith said.
The base will house three ambulances — two that are used for emergency responses and a third as a backup if the other two units are out of service or if there is an event that requires on-site medical services.
Of the two ambulances staffed for emergencies, one is 24 hours a day and the other is staffed from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., both seven days a week. These two ambulances are typically staffed at the paramedic level, meaning treatment for patients can include advanced cardiac and medicinal options, according to Smith.
A place to call homeSmith said South County EMS has been seeking a permanent location since its inception in July 2014. About two years ago, Deerfield Academy officials offered to help, according to the academy’s chief financial officer, Keith Finan.
Finan said Deerfield Academy approached Deerfield officials about helping with the construction of a building.
“It turned out to be something that would benefit the community and students of Deerfield Academy,” Finan said.
Finan said Deerfield Academy leased the land for the building, had the structure built on it and then gifted it to the town. The construction was estimated to cost about $500,000, though Finan said the final cost hasn’t been determined.
Smith said rent for the location will be paid to the town. This rent will be part of the agency’s budget that is paid by the three towns it services. Currently, Deerfield pays 51.76 percent, Sunderland 31.48 percent and Whately 16.76 percent for services.
Originally the EMS service intended to rent space in the Whately municipal offices but that arrangement fell through after Deerfield town officials objected to not having the base in their town and after they came up with the cheaper arrangement with Deerfield Academy’s gift.