If it weren’t for his Uncle Bob, Derek Booker might not be EMS Chief and the town’s Public Health Officer today. Derek grew up in North Waldoboro. His father was an electrician who worked weekly stints in Boston; his mother was a secretary for the Department of Corrections. When summers came, his busy parents sent Derek to Jefferson to live with his uncle Robert Walker who, outside of work, served as the town’s Fire Chief. For young Derek, joining his uncle on calls was the highlight of not just of the summer but the entire year. After high school, Derek worked different jobs, saving his nights and weekends to work as an ambulance driver in Waldoboro. Whenever he could, he helped out the paramedics with whatever they needed. EMS Chief Mike Monk noticed him. He thought Derek was a natural and urged him to go to EMT school to get his license. So Derek did. Right after, he signed on as a full-time EMT. He did that for six years while taking successive courses. He qualified as a paramedic in 2018. Richard Lash, the succeeding Chief, liked what he saw in Derek and began to mentor him. On his retirement last year, he and Town Manager Julie Keizer recommended Derek for the post. At 32 years old, Derek Booker is the town’s newest EMS Chief and Public Health Officer.
You don’t wish for the call as a paramedic. But you wish to be there when it comes. When I was a new paramedic, there was a young child who had died in an accident. By being there, we were able to help take that burden over for the family and make a difference. But that day that hurt. That story will stick in my head until I retire.
We have those days on occasion. People die. We are the gatekeeper between the average citizen and death. We’re called to intervene, to attempt to prevent someone from dying which we have done on numerous occasions. But some days we can’t. Those are painful days.
We’ve been called to serve. My favorite part of the job is helping people. We answer around 1,000 to 1,200 calls a year. I’m always throwing out my daily list to do whatever the day presents to me. I’m just grateful we have the resources to do it all.
But my definition of helping people has changed since taking over as chief. My day may not end on an ambulance call. It may end instead helping somebody with mold inside their home. Or helping Karen-Ann (in charge of social services) navigate a housing issue or drug issue, or setting somebody up with resources, like for heating, or checking on people, or delivering food. I’m helping people in ways I never imagined I would.
We see a lot of untreated diseases here in Waldoboro, and that’s because people can’t afford to see a doctor; or they can’t get in to see a doctor; or they don’t want to go to a doctor; or they’re too busy. And in the elderly population, a lot of people have to make a decision like whether or not they’re going to heat their house or pay for their prescription medication instead. Typically, we find, when it’s darn cold outside, that prescription medicine may take a back seat, and then chronic conditions like high blood pressure, flare up, causing distress and quite frankly, sometimes even death. All because they had to make a decision between heating oil and paying for their prescription meds.
Everybody lays their heads down at night in ignorance to other stuff going on. I have my own house where it’s warm, it’s dry, and I have food in my refrigerator. Then I go out in the public where, just down the road from me, somebody may not have those basic necessities. But it doesn’t show itself until it does. It’s scary. It’s a pandemic in itself.
Homelessness is here but it’s not so bad that we see it. But I think it’s coming. Instead of not having a roof overhead, what we’re seeing now is a cold roof or a cold home. Or maybe they’re behind on the rent. There’s a legal process, and it takes time for them to be evicted, so right now, we’re just seeing that.
Hunger doesn’t show its face here very often. But I think those times are coming, too, where it’s groceries versus meds versus heating. I think people are making those decisions and just not talking about them. I don’t know the answer, but I’m grateful I live in a community where I can give someone Karen-Ann’s card.
We don’t have homeless shelters where we could take in people in here. There are no rehab centers. If we had those, it would make my job as EMS Chief easier. It would make Police Chief Lash’s job easier. Because then we could take someone who needs help nearby rather than a couple of towns away.
I think, however, the citizenry could be concerned about a shelter or center. I understand that. I live here. My niece and nephew visit here. You find yourself thinking, “Oh, I really want the best for them…but do I want them in my own town?”
For me, the answer to that question is yes. I think we should give people a chance. We need to cut down on our biases and realize that some people just need a break – whether it’s a place to say or a place to get some true counsel and therapy and rehab. Maybe those people that get a chance through the Town of Waldoboro and our initiatives — maybe they come back and raise families here.
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