By: Elizabeth Corridan

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (abc40) -- You see them every day, but do you ever really stop to consider the vital role paramedics and E.M.T.s play in our communities?  Thousands of hours of training and preparation go on behind the scenes before every call comes in so the staff is ready.

Matthew McBride, Manager of Business and Community Operations for American Medical Response of Western Massachusetts, says the unwritten motto is "Everyone makes a difference and teamwork succeeds."

As the primary 9-1-1 provider for Springfield, Holyoke, East Longmeadow and Hamden, the AMR team responds to medical emergencies ranging from minor injuries to mass casualties.  Lead Operations Supervisor Patrick Leonardo says, "We bring the emergency room to your living room.  We provide everything from intravenous lines to advanced airways to cardiac monitoring."

Delivering sophisticated care requires extensive education.  AMR prides itself on the high level standards it sets for its staff.  The biggest challenge the emergency provider faces is keeping up with ever-changing technology and training.  McBride says, "This industry has grown immensely over the last 20 years.  It's changing day-to-day."

That means AMR is required to constantly update training protocols and acquire the latest tools for paramedics to provide the care that's needed. The Western Massachusetts division is currently phasing out older model ambulances and replacing them with new vehicles.  No matter what ambulance pulls up to the scene, Leonardo says, "We are equipped to do just about anything you see in an emergency room."

Patient care is all about the latest life-saving technique.  When asked why he got into the emergency medical response field, Leonardo says he wanted to be, "able to offer them (the patients) that hand of assistance to be reassured that they are going to have somebody by their side."

McBride follows up by saying, "No matter what you do here, you make a difference."