By Kayla Tucker

mlive.com

SPRING LAKE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — In a time when first responders, especially medical care providers, are strapped for staff, a local fire department is stepping up to fill that service gap.

Five firefighters with the Spring Lake Fire Department recently received an upgraded paramedic license.

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The department, as a whole, now offers an Advanced Life Support level of service. With that, firefighter paramedics can now intubate a patient and administer more types of medication, as well as advanced heart monitoring.

“It’s taking everything to another degree of service,” said John Stalzer, township fire chief.

The only higher level of medical service the fire department could have is by

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