LOWELL – PRIDEStar EMS will be receiving five Massachusetts National Guard personnel to support the company as it provides non-emergency healthcare transportation during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Guard personnel arrived on Monday, Dec. 27, to begin training. Personnel are not serving as first responders, but will transport patients on non-emergency calls such as trips to and from hospitals or long-term care facilities.
Personnel are being provided through the state Department of Public Health’s Office of Emergency Medical Services. PRIDEStar EMS is one of 12 ambulance providers in the state receiving National Guard support. Three of the Guard personnel are from Lowell and one is from Pelham, N.H.
COVID-19 has led to a nationwide shortage of emergency medical service responders.
“Our emergency medical technicians and paramedics have served on the front lines of COVID-19 for nearly two years without respite,” said David Daly, founder and CEO of PRIDEStar EMS. “These additional personnel will allow us to focus on providing the highest quality care possible. We thank the Office of Emergency Medical Services for making this possible.”