AUGUSTA, Maine — This year has been difficult for Emergency Medical Services personnel, and it's why they were celebrated Friday as part of National EMS Week.
"When we started having our first cases of COVID-19, your EMS agency was there, in your community and in your town," said Dr. Nirav Shah, Maine CDC Director.
There are 5,500 EMS professionals in Maine. 88 contracted COVID-19, which is less than 2 percent. None died.
"Contrary to many other states which unfortunately did experience deaths in their EMS system," said Sam Hurley, Maine EMS Director.
Hurley said many volunteered to help administer more than 27,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
"I do not believe we would be at the same place we are right now, without EMS administering and working strategically on this front, to make sure we are vaccinating those in our state who would like to be vaccinated," said Hurley.
While they are helping the community, Hurley said staffing is a concern.
"It's not an issue that's necessarily unique to the state of Maine either. Currently, the models for many of our systems, as I was discussing earlier, are based off volunteerism. And while we applaud the people who are volunteering on a daily basis, it's important for us to understand sustainability models," said Hurley.
Hurley said he and his team will look into and figure out how to recruit more people.