At PAC, the day shift starts at 0700. In general, most of the regular station duties can be finished up by 0800 if they are started right away. After the regular stuff is out of the way, employees are generally free to use their time as they see fit - as long as they are ready and able when the tones go out.

Shifts are flexible and run 8, 12, 16 and 24 hours. We still permit the longer shifts because crews get to sleep through the night more often than not.

The monthly schedule is determined by availability forms sent in by employees. People indicate when they are available for shift work, and the schedule is compiled with that information and according to the needs of the Corps. Often, this makes the schedule more predictable for everyone, making life an easier thing to plan.

PAC employs eight full-time and up to twenty-two part time staff. Many employees have specific administrative responsibilities as well as their field work. This gives a measure of ownership in the organization to the very people who make it run. Management establishes overall goals and parameters, then allows employees the space and freedom to make them a reality. After all, the people on the front lines often have the best ideas.

We currently have two vehicles on the road. One is a type I Medic Master built by American LaFrance on a Freightliner M2 Chassis. The other is a Braun Chieftain series built on a Ford E-450 chassis.

We believe in using good, up-to-date technology. Since the Blue Hill area is rural, and a trip to the hospital may take up to 45 minutes, PAC puts every effort into bringing the emergency department to the patient. That means paramedic-level care, current education, and the latest developments in medical equipment. All of this within our shoe-string means, of course.

PAC is located in the coastal village of Blue Hill, Maine, and is snuggled up against Blue Hill Mountain (so called because of the blue color given to the mountain by the trees and blueberry fields on its slopes.

We serve a population of roughly 7,000 people year-round with a large increase in the summer months. While the work atmosphere is generally less stressful than at most bigger services, PAC has seen a dramatic increase in utilization. For the past several years, emergency calls have outnumbered scheduled transports. Calendar 2007 was a record year and 2008 is keeping pace.

Being rural and somewhat remote gives us more time to get to know our patients. We serve a wide variety of people with many elderly citizens in need of transportation (emergency and non-emergency) on a frequent basis. As a result, we know the people we serve, and our care reaches a personal level not common in so many other areas of the health care system. To us, patient care is a service more than a business.