Paramedic Intercept Service Launches In 18 Seacoast Region Communities

PLAISTOW, NH — The new Plaistow Regional Intercept program, to be based in Brentwood and Plaistow, went into operation at 3 p.m. on March 21.

It will serve 18 communities and more than 100,000 residents.

"Through the help of several individuals, teamwork, collaboration, and organization, we have achieved a miracle in the last six months," Plaistow Fire Chief Chris Knutsen said during a ceremony at the Brentwood Fire Station.

Beth Israel Lahey Health Exeter Hospital announced in September 2024 that the paramedic intercept service it had provided for 32 years would be discontinued in 10 days. Paramedic intercept services are Advanced Life Support (ALS) services that support smaller agencies that do not offer ambulance transport.

Emergency medical services are not considered essential under New Hampshire law.

The Seacoast Chief Officers Mutual Aid District, which serves 53 communities, including many affected towns, recognized the decision as a public health emergency.

District Board President and Portsmouth Fire Chief William McQuillen convened a working group with support from Seacoast Chiefs Executive Director Steve Benotti and the Executive Board. The group included area fire chiefs, local officials, and experienced fire service professionals. They met regularly for 10 weeks with local, county, and state officials, private philanthropists, the hospital, and the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office.

Executive Councilor Janet Stevens played a vital role as liaison with state and other officials.

The hospital agreed to continue the intercept service through March 21, allowing time to develop an alternate service plan.

The working group determined the region’s service needs and contacted five service providers who may be able to fulfill a paramedic intercept service. The group received three plans, a municipal regional plan, a private non-profit plan, and a private for-profit plan.

Knutsen developed the preferred municipal service model, which:

• Maintains the same paramedic intercept level of service provided by the hospital.
• Develops training and advanced certification regimens for the intercept paramedic staff, which are not currently being provided.
• Contracts with highly skilled clinical educators to deliver hundreds of instructional hours of EMS continuing education.

Two highly trained paramedics will be stationed around the clock at the Plaistow and Brentwood fire stations and will respond to surrounding member towns in emergencies. By placing a second intercept vehicle in Brentwood, paramedics will be able to respond to 80 percent of calls within 15 minutes.

"Paramedics will be out making a difference in the field, every day, communities helping communities, neighbors helping neighbors," McQuillen said.

This model was contingent on funding the first year of operational costs up front, to avoid damaging increases to local municipal budgets. The hospital agreed to invest $2 million in first-year service and donated current intercept vehicles and equipment. The William H. Donner Foundation has contributed $200,000 with a promise of continued support.

Exeter Hospital provided intercept service in 13 communities. Some towns, such as Exeter and Hampton, have full-time paramedics on staff. But smaller towns such as Brentwood, East Kingston, Kingston, Fremont, Hampton Falls, North Hampton, Newfields, and Stratham do not have staffed medics nor operate 24/7. The new regional intercept will support the original 13 towns, plus five — Atkinson, Danville, Hampstead, Sandown, and Newton — that are ending contracts with a for-profit service provider.

"We have been entrusted to provide this very important service," Knutsen said. "As a fire chief, it is hard to reach out and have somebody else come into your community and provide services. I can't thank these chiefs enough for allowing us to put a plan together and trusting us that it will work."

The Seacoast Chief Fire Officers Mutual Aid District wishes to recognize McQuillen for his leadership, and Knutsen for his plan design and implementation. The organization also wishes to recognize Councilor Stevens for working tirelessly to advance this project.

The chiefs also wish to express their deep appreciation to the Donner Foundation for its financial backing.

The District thanks the town of Plaistow for its support, as well as the town of Brentwood and Fire Chief Joe Bird for agreeing to operate a second intercept out of Brentwood Fire & Rescue headquarters.

The chiefs also wish to thank Beth Israel Lahey Health Exeter Hospital, its paramedics and CEO/President Deb Cresta, for delivering lifesaving care to the Greater Seacoast area for 32 years.

About The Seacoast Chief Fire Officers Mutual Aid District

The Seacoast Chief Fire Officers Mutual Aid District is comprised of fire and rescue departments of 53 cities and towns across the Seacoast region of New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts. The District provides mutual aid to any member requesting it in times of major emergencies. The District maintains and supports a mobile command post, a regional hazardous materials response team, and a Type Two incident management team as well as supporting apparatus. The Seacoast Chief Fire Officers Mutual Aid District is dedicated to enhancing fire and life safety across a seacoast that spans three states, through strong partnerships, constant collaboration, and open honest communications.

Submitted by the Seacoast Chief Fire Officers Mutual Aid District.