NEMHS | 19
ing (as if he were a full time employee) but
essentially serves to provide oversight of the
sophisticated IT systems. McGinnis says the
arrangement allows for a lot of technological
capability, but without a lot of the costs typi-
cally associated with such infrastructure and
expert support.
While NEMHS is dedicated to provid-
ing crucial support to the patients that rely
on its services, McGinnis notes that his team
is also mindful of the sacrifices which are
made daily by everyone who works in his
service field. Some eight years ago, McGin-
nis says his team realized that while state-
wide memorials had been erected to honor
police and fire personnel who had died in
the line of duty, there was no such memo-
rial for EMS staff. Tragically, each year, there
are EMS personnel who die due to accidents
in air or over-the-road operations. There are
also professionals whose contributions in
EMS, whether as a doctor, nurse, paramedic
or heath systems developers, have made an
incredible and indelible impact on countless
lives. McGinnis approached the Maine Leg-
islature to garner approval to create a new
memorial honoring the Maine EMS system,
its founders and those who make it succeed
every day. Located along the police and fire
memorials on the state capitol grounds, this
one is not the typical granite stone edifice,
but consists of a clear glass Star of Life panel,
the international symbol of emergency med-
ical services. This star will be lit at night, and
the site is complemented by granite and glass
columns that will also be lit. Smart phone
applications allow visitors to connect with
an audio tour and listen to EMS providers,
nurses or doctors, who will share their per-
spective on their professional roles. The au-
dio component for those who have fallen in
the line of duty features colleagues and fam-
ily memories of the fallen professional. As
McGinnis says, “There’s no other memorial
quite like this one.”
And that’s fitting, because the people
who work in emergency medical services are
like none other. McGinnis observes, “You
don’t normally hear too much or see what
paramedics do. They’re inside a hospital or
at a base, and most people don’t think about
themuntil 9-1-1 is called, but then they’re al-
ways there when you need them and they do
what needs to be done. They’re very special
people and their work saves and improves
lives.”
