By Hans Boyle
Albany Democrat-Herald
ALBANY, Ore. — The Albany Fire Department is trying to respond to fewer calls. That is, fewer non-emergencies.
The department, with grant support last year, purchased equipment for and helped train staff at local care facilities to better assist folks who have fallen and need help getting back up — so the city’s first responders don’t have to do it.
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“It’s not our job to do this,” AFD community paramedic Hilary Kosmicki said in a phone call this week, referring to instances when there are no injuries. Employees at the care facilities should handle such cases.
She added the training, which ran last month, and the new equipment is already paying off.
As of this week, Albany care facilities have used newly acquired lift-assist devices to help residents on at least seven occasions, she said.
Too many calls
Ray Wooldridge, the department’s EMS chief, said in a phone call this week that grants funds from the state, totaling over $68,000, were used to purchase 13 inflatable lifting chairs for surrounding care facilities, so staff there would have the tools needed to respond to falls.
Lift-assists have taken up a good chunk of time at the department. Wooldridge said they make up 30% of calls each year, and according to the department’s 2024 report, there were nearly 900 calls for lift assists. That’s more than the number of motor vehicle accidents called in that same year.
Not only do such calls take time and resources away from emergencies, but they are also hard on backs. According to Kosmicki, back injuries are a top injury for firefighters and workers at care facilities.
Last month, she and Wooldridge helped train more than 200 staff at facilities in Albany, including Lydia’s House at Mennonite Village and Bonaventure, how to use the lift devices and help someone get safely back on their feet. Training wrapped up mid-December, she said.
Grant funding
The funds for the Albany Fire Department’s lift assist project were part of a series of grants awarded by the Oregon Department of Human Services last year to support efforts to improve emergency services for long-term care residents.
The department awarded over $2 million in grants to four cities across the state, including Albany, with funding continuing through December 2026.
The money comes from the Quality Care Fund, which is supported by licensing fees and fines from care facilities, according to Sid Humphries, the emergency medical services coordinator at ODHS.
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