Exeter Hospital Terminates ALS Service

Exeter, NH - September 10th, 2024: The following is a message from the Exeter Fire Department:

We would like to take a moment to address the concerns that have been raised following reports of Exeter Hospital ending its ALS (Advanced Life Support) service effective Sept. 20.

This has been a valuable life-saving service that the hospital has provided to local communities for many years. For those who are unfamiliar with the service, Exeter ALS involves a team of highly trained Exeter Hospital paramedics who assist neighboring communities when critical care is needed. These paramedics use a specialized “Intercept” vehicle with advanced equipment and typically respond to communities that do not have their own paramedics available to provide a higher level of advanced life support skills in an emergency.

While this has been a critical service that’s been used regularly by many smaller communities in the area, the Exeter Fire Department has used Exeter ALS on a very limited basis because we are fortunate to have our own paramedics who are able to provide that high level of emergency medical care. We provide 24/7 coverage, which includes having at least one paramedic on duty at all times, and over the years we have worked to increase the number of our firefighters who are trained as paramedics. We recognize the importance of having paramedics on staff to ensure that we’re able to provide the most comprehensive emergency care outside of a hospital setting.

We appreciate the assistance we have received from Exeter ALS in the past.