Community Spotlight: EMS Prevention With The Jackson Township Fire Department

Fans of Mr. Rogers know that he advised his viewers to look for the helpers. In difficult times, there are always people to help us through and Adam Gatten is one of those people for his community.

You have probably heard of fire prevention but are you familiar with EMS prevention? That’s exactly what Gatten does as a Community Paramedic with the Jackson Township Fire Department in Grove City. Gatten works separately from the traditional EMS squads to help prevent citizens from needing to call 911.

That’s right. His job is to visit residents in their homes where he can look for safety hazards and help them find resources for issues that might be causing situations that would force them to leave their homes. Because the people he serves tend to be elderly, he may help them with all kinds of things including medicine organization so they are taking their pills correctly and at the right time of day. Sometimes he may help them find resources through senior centers, nonprofits, local government and churches for assistance with home repairs, rides to the store or other obstacles that make life harder.

Gatten said older Americans frequently experience falls due to tripping hazards, are sick because they forgot to take medicine, or they fall in the bathroom for want of a grab bar. These incidents result in expensive trips to the ER and can have life altering consequences. Having a person who is a resource for these individuals could literally save a life.

The 30-year firefighter and paramedic has seen a thing or two over the years and knows the dangers. “I’ve always had a heart for helping the elderly more than we are able to on the squad because we aren’t able to be in their lives and see what’s causing them problems. Now I can find out what their needs are and hopefully keep them in their homes for as long as possible,” he said while explaining that the community paramedicine concept was created to help cut down on 911 calls for patients whose problems may be preventable.

To do this, he identifies problems and seeks solutions. For example, fall prevention is a big part of what he does as well as installing new smoke detectors. “The Red Cross gives us free smoke detectors so I can install those for them. Sometimes they need minor home repairs that I can help them with because I’m blessed with some handyman skills. Sometimes they have bigger needs and that’s where I start reaching out to resources in the community.”

He said that one individual just needed a ride to church so Gatten found someone willing to help with that. “Some of these things are surprisingly simple and yet challenging problems to solve,” he explained.

Another service he performs is installing key boxes for emergency use. If a patient can’t get to the door, an emergency key box is a safe way to keep a key outside for first responders to let themselves in on an emergency run rather than force open a door.  The code to the key box is set by the resident and securely stored within the emergency services dispatch system.

Sometimes, the people Gatten works with have some money for their needs but don’t know who to call for help. For example, they may not have funds to pay a lawncare company to mow but they have enough to pay a teenager who just wants spending money. They simply need help make connections in their neighborhood.

“A lot of older people don’t have anybody. They don’t have someone to check in on them or give them a ride to church. They don’t have someone to help them around the house or to even give them a call to chat. We tend not to notice until we are old but there are people like this everywhere. These unseen people who no one even really knows exist need someone to help or to just give them some attention.”

By making connections with local government, nonprofit organizations, professionals, churches and individuals, Gatten is building a community to help people who don’t have one of their own.

He credits VCNB Business Banker Sue Ross who has a passion for helping as well. She recently connected with Gatten because she knows what it’s like to need expensive durable medical equipment. Sue and her husband accept donations and spend their free time and own money purchasing gently used items which they thoroughly clean and store until someone needs the items. By partnering with Gatten, she now has a way to distribute things like walkers, hospital beds, canes and other items to people who need them. “Sue has been a Godsend. All I have to do is tell her I need something for someone and she is on it.”

Gatten’s job is all about helping people through a mixture of listening, patience, ingenuity, resourcefulness and most of all, kindness. It takes a special kind of person to do his work but Gatten says the blessing is often his. “Helping people is a wonderful way to help yourself. Everyone should love their work they way I love mine and I’m grateful every day that I have a chance to help people this way.”

Want to help? There are ways both big and small that you can be a part of his mission.  

• Donate a gift card such as Home Depot, Walmart or grocery stores.
• Donate new or gently used durable medical equipment. Bariatric items and lift chairs are especially needed and hard to come by. Things like unopened packages of Depends are welcome as well.
• Medication that is no longer needed can be donated to the Charitable Pharmacy.
• If your business, organization, church or other volunteer group has services that could be helpful or offered at a free/discounted price, Gatten would love to connect.

To learn more about these and other ways to help, contact Adam Gatten at the Jackson Township Fire Department at 380.210.8386 or email CARES@jacksontwp.org. He is actively looking to make connections with people who wish to help their neighbors.