►
From YouTube: Commissioners Corner - Chief Jim Hooley, EMS
Description
Mayor Walsh is committed to having an administration that is accountable to all residents, no matter who you are or where you live. Commissioners Corner introduces you to your city leaders, who will showcase their agencies and discuss information that is important to everyone in this great city. On this episode, host Najya Mawasi is joined by Jim Hooley, Chief of Boston Emergency Medical Services.
A
Boston
emergency
medical
services
is
the
largest
municipal
EMS
in
New
England.
Their
primary
mission
is
Emergency
Medical
Response,
but
they
are
also
at
the
forefront
of
disaster
preparedness.
Boston
EMS
invests
in
resources
such
as
a
large
medical,
medical
ambulance,
bus
and
personnel
frequently
participate
in
exercises
with
local,
regional
state
and
federal
partners.
This
ensures
a
coordinated
response
to
any
emergency
mayor,
Walsh
and
EMS
Chief
Jim
Hooley
are
committed
to
the
health
and
safety
of
Boston
residents
and
visitors
through
community
engagement
that
department
educates
residents
about
safety
and
life-saving
skills.
A
Over
100
years
ago,
the
agency
started
as
a
horse
and
carriage
transfer
service
to
assist
the
multiple
campuses
of
the
old
boston
city
hospital
by
1977.
It
was
an
accredited
emergency
organization
in
in
1996
became
part
of
the
Boston
Public
Health
Commission.
Today
it
has
grown
into
one
of
the
premier
emergency
medical
services
in
the
country
chief
who
Lee
is
here
with
us
today.
He
has
over
35
years
of
experience
at
Boston
EMS,
and
he
has
served
as
an
EMT
paramedic
shift
commander
in
superintendent
of
failed
operations.
A
Jim
will
tell
us
more
about
Boston,
EMS
and
some
of
the
services
it
provides
for
you.
She
fully.
Thank
you
so
much
for
being
here.
It's
a
pleasure
to
have
you
with
us
today,
so
I
you've
been
with
Boston
EMS
for
over
35
years.
Congratulations
to
you
on
that!
Take
us
along
the
ride
with
you
during
those
times
easy,
because
you
must
have
seen
a
lot
experienced.
A
lot
heard.
A
lot
take
us
along
the
ride
with
you.
Well.
B
Give
you
a
quick
background,
so
okay
I
was
a
an
EMT
who
applied
to
work
here
back
in
nineteen,
seventy
and
I
started
working
here
in
June.
I
worked
in
the
BLS
animals
for
a
couple
of
years,
and
then
probably
around
1979
I
was
198.
I
was
selected
for
ALS,
advanced
training,
product
training
and
I
went
through
a
paramedic
program
which
was
but
a
year-long
program
here
and
then
I
work
in
the
field
as
a
paramedic
on
various
shifts
move
into
the
mid
90s.
B
When
I
became
a
shift
commander
the
evening
shift,
and
subsequently
you
know
in
charge
of
field
operations
and
then
in
2009.
You
know,
I
took
on
the
duties
of
chief
of
the
department.
I
got
to
see
a
transition
of
years
from
where
we
started
with
a
department
with
maybe
I
believe
we
had
10
ambulances
on
that
bed
pink
peak
times
up
to
now,
where
we,
you
know,
we
routinely
in
busy
hours
where
we
have
24
animals
is
deployed
and
we'll
need
to
expand
that
in
the
coming
months,.
B
B
A
A
B
In
boston,
where
a
911
system,
so
all
of
our
responses
are
emergencies.
Now
not
every
emergencies
created
equal,
there's,
some
other
higher
priority
priority
ones,
twos
threes,
and
without
getting
too
much
of
the
specifics
of
that.
But
there's
different
call
types.
Obviously
somebody
choking
somebody,
you
know
not
breathing
somebody
who
we
think
is
in
cardiac
arrest.
B
We're
a
busy
system
in
that.
You
know
averaging
right
now
about
340,
350
clinical,
you
know
calls
a
day
get
dispatch
24-hour
system
here
and
that's
results
in
about
you
know
about.
240
is
overwhelming
it's.
It
can
be
busy
and
excuse
me,
and
it
can
be
a
little
bit
of
a
management
challenge,
but
we
do
that
by
having
up
at
with
so
when
you
taking
the
beginning,
then
so,
if
you
call
911,
because
an
emergency
in
your
home,
you've
seen
something
happen
on
the
street,
the
calls
in
Boston
directed
the
Boston
Police
Headquarters.
B
A
A
B
No,
not
really
both
members
are
equally
trained,
so
they
both
trained
at
the
same
level.
And
what
we
do
is
you
know,
one
person
will
be
assigned
the
duties
of
operating
or
driving
the
vehicle,
but
once
you
get
there,
there's
this
role,
the
driver,
you
might
you
get
out
on
your
side,
and
so
you
might
grab
some
equipment.
That's
there
and
the
mt
of
the
paramedic
who's
writing
the
cab
with
you
will
grab
equipment
and
bring
it
in
as
well.
Now
some
crews,
one
person,
will
typically
stay
in
the
back
with
you.
B
B
Well,
it's
called
basic,
but
it
is
beyond
that.
It
is
comprehensive.
They
get
several
months
of
training
in
a
program
where
they
have
to
learn
a
lot
of
you
know
basic
anatomy
and
physiology.
They
have
to
learn
all
the
state
treatment
protocols
they
have
to
practice
with
equipment.
That's
that's
required
to
be
carried
in
the
ambulances.
How
to
do
loads
lifts
carries
how
to
write
reports
and
they
are
then
put
out
in
a
in
a
basic
life
support
unit.
B
Rugby
LS
truck
the
difference
between
them
and
the
paramedics
are
paramedics
get
an
additional
level
of
training,
which
typically
is
what
a
year's
worth
of
additional
training.
It's
it's
several
hundred
hours
more
a
bit
more
of
a
bit
more
in
depth.
Anatomy
physiology
pharmacology
how
certain
drugs
work,
because
you're
allowed
paramedics
allowed
to
administer,
rub
medications.
They
can
do
some
advanced
airway
procedures
like
intubation
or,
if
need
be
a
needle
cricothyrotomy
is
amiss
neck
needle
decompression.
They
do.
They
also
learn
how
to
do
a
12-lead,
EKG
interpretation.
B
B
Yes,
and
we
we
typically
on
the
most
serious
cases
where
we
believe
you
require
that
high
level
of
care
we
send
both
units,
you
send
the
ALS
and
BLS
because,
as
you
pointed
out,
we
may
need
to
people
are
back
with
you.
We
may
need
to
keep
both
medics
and
back
or
an
EMT
and
our
parent.
Looking
back.
Maybe
this
wasn't
one
patient.
B
A
B
A
B
I
would
stop
get
even
some
some
simple
ones
back
yeah
when
I
started.
Yes,
the
ambulances
were
had
were
had
radios,
but
the
crews
didn't
and
then
at
one
point,
crew
member
would
have
a
portable
radio
and
then,
oh,
my
goodness,
we
finally
got
one
for
both
of
you,
one
that
it's
a
good
safety
feature,
but
it
often
meant
back
in
the
back
in
the
days
when
we
started.
If
you
receive
and
I
won't
call
you
could
dispatch
once
you
got
in
the
ambulance,
you
couldn't
get
any
further
updates.
You
couldn't
call
for
help.
B
A
B
Telephone
inside
a
building,
because
that
was
in
the
days
before
cell
phones
have
you
so
besides
some
of
those
advances
and
obviously
advances
and
computers
that
help
speed
up
dispatch
and
call
taking
a
lot
more
medical
devices
that
you
know
we
take
for
granted
now
your
ability
to
check
some
his
blood
sugar
in
the
field.
You
know
that
was
that
was
something
before
he
brings
me
to
the
hospital.
Get
that
right.
A
B
A
B
Our
diagnostic
weekend,
by
looking
at
it,
we
can
make
a
determination
if
you
are,
in
fact,
if
this
chest
pain
here
is
suspicious.
But
your
EKG
looks
okay
or,
you
might
say,
hey
you're,
exhibiting
a
pattern
of
a
myocardial
infarction
and
we're
going
to
treat
you
for
that
I'm
going
to
treat
you
for
your
pain,
but
we're
also
going
to
direct
you
to
a
caddy
accent,
oh
and
notify
them
that
this
is
the
case
and
they
can
get
the
cath
catheterization
lab
assembled
and
ready
to
receive
you.
A
B
A
B
Know
be
the
ability
to
carry
a
lot
of
life-saving
medications
when
I
started
here
in
1978,
the
only
people
who
could
administer
not
can
and
not
canceled
noodles.
These
days,
you
know,
narcotics
overdoses
was
in
hospitals
plus
you
got
somebody
that
and
then
they
added
it
to
paramedics
could
do
it
in
the
field.
But
it
was
only
paramedics
with
that
high
level
of
certification.
Back
in
two
thousand
six
I
Department
sought
permission
through
the
state
which
regulates
the
ambulances.
Saying
that
hey
it's
a
we.
B
That's
that's
in
this
whole
northeast
region.
Unfortunately,
one
we've
again
ten
almost
ten
years
ago
now
is
when
we
begin
making
it
easier
for
our
personnel
to
administer
knock
in
second,
we
we
also
now
the
city
of
Boston,
police
and
fire
also
carried
as
well,
but
but
for
us
it's
for
us
to
know
that
the
people
suffering
from
addictions
and
who
have
prone
to
abuse
narcotics,
we
we
know
that
we
see
them
everywhere.
B
B
So
I
personnel
know
that
we
suspect
it
when
we
get
the
call
in
those
always
go
in
as
a
high
priority
call
is
either
unconscious,
not
breathing
whatever,
because
it's
it's
real,
some
calls
and
said:
hey
I
think
my
friend
just
did
heroin
most
people,
you
know
we're
just
going
to
call
for
somebody
not
breathing
or
whatever.
So
you
get
our
quick
and
you
you
know.
Fortunately,
you
can
usually
pick
up
the
tell-tale
signs.
We
begin
to
breathe
for
them
right
away.
We
use
rescue
breathing
with
while
we
administer
not.
B
Oh,
yes,
there's
actually
at
may's
dashboard.
We
report
out
our
weekly
numbers
to
his
office
because
that
has
been
a
priority
for
me
at
walsh
to
try
to
tackle
this
problem
of
of
addictions,
he's
open
an
office
of
he
established
officer
recovery,
which
is
a
bit
Boston,
Public
Health
we
work
very
closely
with,
and
we
will
share
information
about
where
are
encountering
cases
with
the
idea
of
they
have
outreach
programs
where
they
can
follow
up
with.
B
Does
the
patient
does
the
friend
and
family
of
the
loved
ones
of
this
person
want
to
receive
knock
in
training?
Would
they
like
to
get
access
to
it,
because
then
now
the
family
becomes
the
first
responder
or
a
loved
one
there
with,
because
they
know
that
you
know
as
much
as
we
want
to
get
people
into
treatment
and
the
goal
listing
everybody
into
recovery
and
sustain
that
it's
it's
one
condition
that
is
done.
B
A
B
So
then,
every
time
we
went
into
a
a
special
event
in
Boston
and
we
have
over
500
special
events
a
year
of
various
sized,
not
all
in
order
of
the
magnitude
of
what
the
July
celebration
or
tall
ships,
but
we
do
of
those,
and
you
do
have
to
be
concerned
about
either
it
could
be
it
it
doesn't
it
to
be
a
terrorist
attack,
it
could
be
a
transportation
accident
could
be
something
else.
We
could
get
multiple
on
mass
casualties
if
you
will,
and
we've
always
had
that
in
our
playbook.
B
B
We
work
it
into
some
of
our
rug
and
service
for
and
we
we
saw
the
value
of
that
so
that
when,
if
you
recall
usually
for
the
marathon
we're
dealing
with
casualties
from
heat
or
exercise-induced
illness
injuries,
you
know
because
it's
an
athletic
event,
but
when,
on
you
know
the
snap
of
a
finger
return
it
to
the
mass
casualty
event
because
of
of
bombings,
our
personnel
were
we're
so
well
trained
that
they
just
immediately
shifted
to
that
and
it
was
sort
of
muscle
memory
for
them.
So
we
saw
the
value
of
that.
B
We
also
saw
the
value
of
bystanders,
obviously
other
first
responders,
police
and
fire
as
well.
Helping
us
out,
of
course,
but
you
know
in
Boston-
is
a
large
medical
community,
a
lot
of
people
who
work
in
in
health
care
industry,
there's
a
lot
of
people
who
maybe
had
some
pride
military
service
with
some
first
aid.
B
To
jump
in
right,
so
that's
that's
what
we
tried
to
prepare
our
folks
for
up,
because
not
knowing
where
the
next
event
could
happen
and
will
happen,
because
we
have
to
have
that
mindset
like
efforts.
How
would
we
recognize
folks
who
are
at
a
scene
who
can
help
us?
You
know,
can
you
would
you
stay
with
this
person?
Who's
get
display
dansad
just
reassure
her
someone's
gonna
get
to
her
because
yay
you
look
like
somebody
who
me
who's
got
it
together.
B
A
B
B
You
know
close
enough
to
be
maybe
not
danger
close,
but
close
enough,
so
that
as
soon
as
the
police
say
hey,
we
can
control
this
space
even
just
a
little
bit.
We
have
you
covered,
you
can
go
in
and
get
them
extract
and
get
them
out,
because
I
goal
is
to
really
try
to
save
people
who
have
who
have
a
chance
to
live
and
the
more
minor
trauma
we
can.
We
can
maybe
hold
off
on
to
the
side
and
get
them
out
in
the
second
wave.
I
want.
A
B
B
Many
years
ago
it
was
required
that
we
had
to
go
you
if
we
taught
something
ahead
of
me
to
a
certification
level
which
may
be
incurred,
maybe
some
fees
for
books
for
cards
and
registration,
or
would
expire
in
two
years,
which
is
okay
for
health
professionals
and
for
first
responders
who
do
it
for
a
living?
But
you
know
history
shown
us
that
you
know
family
members
of
neighbors
if
they
don't
need
the
certification
and
they
just
need
to
know
basically
how
to
do
it.
B
A
A
B
But
but
the
but
you
know
they
do
it,
but
what
happened
was
a
research
showed
that
the
most
important
thing
is
that
somebody
starts
pumping
starts
doing
compressions,
good,
a
defective
rapid
compressions
that
that's
even
more
important
than
the
breathing.
So
we've
emphasized
their
training
yeah,
we
call
it
CPR
anytime,
we're
up
with
you.
Don't
have
to
be
certified
well
in
maybe
about
30
minutes,
or
so
we
can
run
you
through
30.
A
B
To
an
hour
with
the
mannequin,
we
can
train
logic,
community
groups
and
we've
done
a
lot
of
these
community
centers
schools,
where
we
teach
people
how
to
do
basic,
compressions,
activate
the
911
system,
but
we've
also
done
training
for
people
who
have
aedes.
They
want
to
know
how
to
use
those,
and
we.
A
B
Awareness
training
for
a
lot
of
the
elderly
group
groups
with
the
mayor's
office
up
the
LD
Commission.
It's
it's
called
file
of
life
where
we
try
to
just
go
out
and
speak
to
groups
where
maybe
there's
senior
citizens
living
the
importance
of
having
their
medications
recorded
somewhere,
be
there
on
a
piece
of
paper
on
something
we
may
provide
them
to
put
it
in
that,
maybe
stick
over
the
magnet
in
the
refrigerator
door
because
lots
of
times
if
you
live
home
alone,
there's
nobody
with
you.
A
B
We
also
do
training
our
community
initiatives
Bureau,
we
do
training
around
bicycle
safety
and
bike
helmets.
We
do
a
lot
of
focus
of
that
on
on
young
kids
and
in
some
cases
we
provide
helmets
at
low
or
no-cost.
If
kids
can't
provide
them.
We
we
do
that
that
health
Fair's
a
couple
times
a
year
that
we
try
to
target
with
children.
We
also
provide
cassie
inspection,
casa
di
insulation.
We
have
certified
car
seat
technicians
who
go
to
a
rather
lengthy
training
process,
and
they
have
to
be
just
like
an
EMT.
B
The
best
way
if
anyone's
interested
is
to
go
to
the
website,
which
is
Boston,
gov
/
ems.
If
we
schedule
that
we
do
it
a
couple
of
days
per
month
out
at
a
location
we
have
in
mattapan,
and
but
we
can
schedule
that
also
by
appointment.
So
a
lot
of
what
new
parents
want
to
make
sure
that
that
nice,
new
car
seat
they
bought
is
probably
installed,
and
it
will
do
that
and
sometimes
we're
even
to
help
out
folks
who
don't
have
the
ability
to
pay
for
effects.
Oh
god
seat
as
well,
because.
B
Routinely
report
on
patients
that
we
encounter
from
motor
vehicle
accidents
from
pedestrians,
who
are
pedestrians
or
bicyclists,
whether
those
folks
at
helmets
or
not.
We
share
that
with
these
the
city's
transportation
department
boston's,
it
is
a
pretty
comprehensive
program
to
call
vision,
zero,
you've
heard
of
it
yet.
A
B
B
We
really
really
report
on
enough
on
incidents
where
we've
encountered
a
patient,
whether
you
going
on
you
know
and
the
police
might
have
the
ones
where
there
were
no
injuries.
We
were
cancelled,
but
but
a
lot
of
that
information
and
severity
of
some
of
the
patients
we
take
has
been
used
over
the
years
when
the
city
is
trying
to
prioritize.
Maybe
we're
going
to
put
a
bike
lane
or
traffic
calming
measures
or
up
maybe
do
some
enhances
with
the
crosswalk
crosswalks
I
mean
they
take.
B
They
have
other
ways,
they
serve
a
traffic
safety,
but
they
do
take
data
that
we
provide
and
they
use
that
to
help
to
inform
you
know
similar
with
you
know
we
try
to
map
where
we
encounter
asthma
to
try
to
see.
Is
it
environmental
things?
So
we
encountering
patients,
particularly
kids
with
asthma?
Are
we
see
in
areas
where
it
could
be?
Certain
has
is
maybe
in
the
area
we.
A
B
A
B
Obviously,
first
of
all
for
most
is
you
know
their
safety.
You
know
it's
a
it's
a
it's
a
profession
that
you
know
does
have
its
dangers,
and
it's
not
always
because
of
the
threat
of
violence
of
we
are
where
you're
operating.
You
know
vehicles
in
an
emergency
response.
Everyone
does
get
training
for
that.
B
Loads
lifts
carries
patients,
you
know
and
yet
they're
not
when
we
treat
people
in
the
classroom.
It's
perfect
conditions,
you
bend
your
knees
and
keep
your
back
straight
you're,
taking
somebody
out
of
a
bathtub
buzon,
conscious
and
they're
300
pounds.
You
can't
always
write
yourself,
so
so
I
worry
about
teen
things
like
strains
aches
or
what
have
you?
We
do
worry
more
about
the
potential
of
violence.
We
worry
about
the
potential
of
communicable
disease.
If
you
know
people
should
get,
you
know,
I'm
stuck
with
a
dirty
needle
or
expose.