IRG

There are forty EMT’s and Paramedics assigned to the IRG. The unit is divided into five strike teams with eight members each, including a team leader. Each team rotates through an on-call period which ensures availability to our customers every day of the year on a 24/7 basis. Personnel selected to serve on the IRG are self reliant, highly motivated and are regarded by their supervisors as truly excellent employees. Dealing effectively with extraordinary events on a regular basis is what these personnel do for a living. “What sets this team apart from the main-stream operations of the company is the combined dedication and commitment to specialized training by these employees in a variety of important, and potentially very dangerous subjects,” says Group Supervisor, Chris Grazioso. This team has received cutting-edge training on such subjects as Incident Command System (ICS); Care and treatment of the injured in an environment where a weapon of mass destruction (WMD) has been detonated; Proper medical response to terrorist incidents; Hazardous materials (Haz-Mat) operations; Urban and rural search and rescue (SAR) operations; Nuclear, biological, chemical, radiological (CBRN) attacks and mitigation; Proper handling of mass casualty incidents (MCI’s); Technical rescue support operations; Severe weather conditions and related medical treatment of injured persons; and emergency communications, to name a few. The instructors used for this training are experts in their particular field and come from a wide array of public safety and military organizations such as Boston EMS and Fire Department, National Weather Service, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management, United States Coast Guard, Metropolitan Law Enforcement Council, Massachusetts State Police and the MBTA.

The IRG has two special purpose vehicles at their disposal for emergency operations. Each is stocked from “floor to ceiling” with a cache of medical, electronic, rehabilitation and other specialized equipment, as well as an assortment of hand and power tools, generators, portable lighting and quick-erect shelters, portable heaters, cooling fans, canteen supplies, blankets, water and much more. Grazioso explains, “In this uncertain post-911 world, we are very fortunate that Fallon management recognizes both the necessity and value of this team insofar as going the extra mile to protect our customers, and wholeheartedly supports its mission.”.

Our most frequent mission is incident rehab, but we are also used frequently for mass gatherings, severe weather, and to support Metrostar. If you are interested in joining the team or want to just come for some interesting continuing education, please attend one of our meetings. They are held the last Tuesday of each month, from 1900-2200, at the FHQ training room. Anyone of our members (easily identified with a "Special Operations" rocker under their Fallon patch) will be happy to talk to you about the team. You can also email the Group Supervisor, Chris Grazioso.