10 | NEMHS
tional phone operators, MedComm’s team
of triage nurses could respond to the myriad
health concerns posed by callers. McGinnis
says that service ultimately proved to be a lit-
tle ahead of its time. The nursing side of the
operation was eventually separated and tran-
sitioned to another enterprise established in
Portland, Maine, yet MedComm still con-
tinues as a vital communication center for
five separate ambulance companies, as well
as the medical helicopter service, in Maine.
COMMUNITY CAPABILITY
NEMHS continued to grow as a paramedic
service afterMcGinnis departed fromNEM-
HS, but his reputation in the industry also
continued to grow. He would go on to serve
as a communications technology advisor for
such esteemed organizations as the National
Association of State EMS Officials, the Na-
tional EMS Management Association, the
National Association of EMTs, the National
Association of EMS Physicians, and the Na-
tional Association of EMS Educators. Most
recently, McGinnis has even been named to
the Board of Directors of the First Respond-
er Network Authority (FirstNet), which is
presently engaged in building a nationwide
