By Kayla Mutchler
Journal Inquirer
WESTPORT, Conn. 鈥� Jaime Bairaktaris thinks Westport鈥檚 Volunteer Emergency Medical Service is like a family, which is one of the reasons he鈥檚 served on the force for over 10 years. Now, he鈥檚 about to become the organization鈥檚 youngest president in its 45-year history.
鈥淲estport EMS is a second home to me 鈥� and its members, a second family,鈥� he said in a media release. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited for this opportunity to foster our organization鈥檚 mission to save lives in our community.鈥�
Bairaktaris, 26, started his journey with the department when he was an Emergency Medical Responder, which is a certification below an Emergency Medical Technician, as a Staples High School freshman in 2013. He worked his way up to a position within the EMS Youth Corps and became an EMT at 16.
At 20, he took on the position of crew chief. Since his start in high school, he has worked over 3,000 hours, was named Volunteer of the Year in 2016 and Crew Chief of the Year in 2022.
As president, he will not serve within the operational side but serve within the nonprofit side of the volunteer EMS. He said he didn鈥檛 expect to become president at a young age but is excited to take it on.
While president, Bairaktaris said he hopes to strengthen the volunteer side, which has steadily been getting better under current President Mike Burns. He said he wants to find more ways to support EMT training that is flexible enough for a volunteer, such as offering weekend or additional training sessions, as well as strengthen public education with offering new classes focused on mental health.
During and after the COVID-19 pandemic, ranks became depleted, with many members retiring or leaving the service for other reasons, Bairaktaris said. In the recent election for a new president, the nomination committee found him to be a natural choice, as there weren鈥檛 many people with as much interest or experience as Bairaktaris.
He is able to serve a total of four terms, with each lasting one fiscal year, starting July 1 . He also recently finished a term as a Representative Town Meeting member for District Four.
Recently, WVEMS secured a few new, custom-built ambulances funded by the Daniel E. Offutt, III Charitable Trust, Westport Woman鈥檚 Club, and Walter and Marilyn Joy Samuels Charitable Foundation Trust.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited for the growth we鈥檒l see in the next few years,鈥� Bairaktaris said.
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