WILTON – Daniele Gardiner officially took over this week as the new director of the Wilton Ambulance Service, but she has been on the scene for the past couple of weeks learning the community from long time service member Allen Peck, who has been serving as interim director. On Sunday, July 24, she was officially welcomed at an informal reception at the ambulance bay on Route 31.

“Allen has been fantastic,” she said. “A big help.”

In spite of oppressive heat and humidity, members from the three towns served by the ambulance – Wilton, Lyndeborough and Greenfield – were there to meet and welcome her.

Gardiner is a para-medic and has been in public service since 2004. She trained as a paramedic at New England EMS in Manchester.

She has served “all around the neighborhood,” she said, including Merrimack Fire Department, Amherst dispatch, Rindge Fire Department, Jaffrey-Rindge Ambulance, and in Leominster, Mass.

She wants the service to expand its community education focus, she said. That includes CPR classes, baby-sitting classes for the older kids, and offering blood pressure clinics.

“We’re happy to have her here,” Selectman DJ Garcia said, posing with her beside an ambulance. “She was very impressive in her interview, and she was our unanimous choice.”

Peck also demonstrated a new mechanical CPR administrator, an ingenious machine attached to a dummy. “It’s only for adults now,” he said.

“I’m excited to be here,” Gardiner said, “and expect to hit the ground running.”