By B. Michael Thurlow

Fire Chief

Whenever I have the opportunity to speak to local civic groups I try to save time for any questions the audience might have about the fire department or public safety. One of the most common questions I get is ‘Why did you send a fire engine and police car to my house when I called for the rescue unit?’ I thought this week’s article might be a great opportunity to answer that question by explaining how Scarborough’s comprehensive Emergency Medical Service (EMS) system works.

Let’s start with a history lesson. The Scarborough Rescue Squad has the unique distinction of being the first volunteer rescue unit in the state. In the late 1940s Philip Haigis (affectionately known as Doc Haigis, and the man Haigis Parkway is named after) set up a small family practice in his home that is still located at the corner of Route 1 and Haigis Parkway.  Scarborough was a smaller community back then and when someone needed a doctor they called Doc Haigis who would make house calls anytime day or night. 

With the Maine Turnpike and a busy Route 1 bisecting the community, traffic accidents have always been a significant concern. In those days when there was a crash and someone was injured they were either driven to the hospital in a private car or state police would call a local funeral director to transport them in a hearse. It was crude and often took so long the patient would succumb to injuries.

Doc Haigis quickly realized that time is critical when someone has a traumatic injury and he knew there must be a better way to care for townspeople. He came up with the idea of creating a volunteer rescue squad manned by residents he would train in first aid and vehicle extrication techniques. 

Doc took his idea to the Scarborough Lions Club, where he was a member. The Lions were well known for their generosity and support of community projects. The group realized the importance of his idea and fully supported it not only with money, but with the manpower to get it started. They raised money to buy a van-type truck, developed bylaws, and in October 1951 they officially organized as the Scarborough Rescue Unit, or Engine 8, of the Scarborough Fire Department.  

Because Scarborough is a large community, encompassing 54 square miles, it still takes a fair amount of time to get from one side of town to another. With minutes being so critical during a heart attack, stroke, or traumatic injury, the fire department progressively established a rescue assist policy where firefighters in each of the stations learned basic first aid. 

The idea was they would arrive to assist a neighbor in need far quicker than the rescue truck coming from Oak Hill, and would be able to render CPR or first aid while the rescue was enroute. Remember, in those days there was no staff waiting for a call at the station and no radios or pagers. When a rescue call came in to Newcomb’s store, Elizabeth would blow Box 8 on various fire horns around town and members of the rescue and fire department would leave their jobs and rush to the station to take the ambulance to the call. In the 1960s the fire trucks all carried resuscitators, which were suitcase sized mechanical ventilators that were used to perform CPR.

A lot has changed in the past 50 years. In the 1970s EMS blossomed and started to expand across the country from its start in California. Paramedicine programs were offered and Scarborough was one of the first communities to take advantage of these new opportunities to improve patient care. Today’s Scarborough rescue is staffed around the clock by full time paramedics who are trained and equipped to provide an advanced level of emergency medical care that Doc Haigis would be absolutely amazed at. 

But one thing hasn’t changed, that is Scarborough’s proactive integrated EMS delivery system. Neighborhood fire trucks in each of our six stations carry a variety of rescue tools and equipment including automatic external defibrillators (AEDs), oxygen and intravenous fluids. We have purchased AEDs for each of our police cars and trained police officers to save a life before a fire truck or ambulance was able to get to the scene. Many of our firefighters are trained in advanced EMS skills and when you call 911 for a serious medical call or a vehicle crash, our dispatchers will send the nearest police officer, fire truck and ambulance to provide rapid assistance. We work as a team to provide life saving procedures, drugs, and various interventions along with rapid transport to the emergency room.

The Scarborough Fire Department is very proud of our EMS history but we are more proud of the advanced level of pre-hospital care we are able to provide to the community. We have two fully staffed advanced life support ambulances, one housed at the Dunstan Station and one at Oak Hill, backed up by your neighborhood fire truck and police officers. We hope you never need to use our services, but we also hope you take comfort in the fact there is a team of well-trained professionals ready to assist with the most advanced tools and equipment available if you ever do require assistance.

If you have any questions about this article or the fire department in general, I can be reached at mthurl@ci.scarborough.me.us or 730-4201.

The Scarborough Fire, Police and Public Works Departments produce a weekly feature for the Leader educating the public about various duties of the departments and public safety issues.