BATON ROUGE - The emergency medical service department serving East Baton Rouge has named a new chief of operations.

Leah Constantino is a 27-year veteran of the department. She was serving as a shift commander when she was selected for the new position. 

Constantino is a lifelong resident of Zachary and joined the department in 1996. She graduated from the EMS Paramedic Academy in 1994 and also has a business degree. Constantino implemented the department's first and only service canine program, which focuses on mental wellness and combating symptoms of PTSD for EMS and other first responder agencies.