Triple Threat

[firedoc5]

Does anyone remember quite a while back when the idea of having an agency where service was for EMS, firefighting, and police? Personnel would rotate on a regular basis or would have them perform whatever duty was called for. I know the idea was kicked around for a while in Chicago, Dallas, and I think Orlando. I don't recall if any systems tried it or not, whether or not it was feasible. I know that there are services like NYPD having their Police/Rescue which responds to fires but really don't do the suppression.

At one time I thought that would be something interesting to do, but I reconsidered and thought that might be overwhelming.

[Richard B the EMT]

It sounds like a true "Department of Public Safety".

After an intensive 2 year training program, members spend a month working EMS, the next working an Engine Company, the next doing Law Enforcement, a month working the Ladder Company, and finally, a month working the Sanitation Department (the garbage collections).

[AnthonyM83]

They have those. Sunnyvale, California is one example. I've heard of others here and there.

[ccmedoc]

Jackson MI. has them I believe they call them PSO..Public Safety Officers..all crosstrained and rotate shifts. I'm not sure I like the idea though. Staying certified and lisenced may be a bit rough, it would seem, along with keeping up on current modalities of care and performance of each profession.

I believe it is Jackson...somewhere down state anyhow.. :roll:

[akflightmedic]

We had a thread on this a while back, but I can not find it at the moment.

There are several departments in FL that do it.

One in particular I am familiar with is Indian River Shores, a small yet well funded district due to all the million dollar homes.

We call them Pyro Pig Medics or triple certers.

ANyways, they work 24/48. During the 24, they do 8 hours in police car, 8 hrs on ambo and 8 on engine. Suffice to say, they do not run a lot of calls and the job is a vacation job in itself and very well paid.

[Just Plain Ruff]

The only pso model that I know of in Missouri or the KC MO area is a town called Gladstone but I'm not sure if they changed that or not. I've been out of touch with my gladstone buddies for a while.

[kitkat]

So once again, Jack of all trades Master of none.

[frontcrawl]

I think Kalamazoo, MI has the largest DPS at the moment, followed by Sunnyvale, CA, but neither of them does EMS.

I don't think they should run EMS any more than they should work in the OR at the local hospital, but in terms of police and fire it's a great idea.

The model I'd like to see in more places is a DPS covering police and firefighting tasks and a regional medically oriented EMS service. It's sort of difficult to create one by merging existing LE and fire agencies though.

EDIT: Just thought of this, a number of airports have folks that do both. Nashville, TN; Louisville, KY; Ontario, CA and Anchorage and Fairbanks in Alaska come to mind, though I'm sure there are others.

[Eydawn]

Kalamazoo, MI does indeed have a DPS. While attending college there I spoke with a few of them... mostly they're firefighters and police officers. Medical care is/was provided by Life EMS, which runs most of the ALS and primary response in the city, and Pride Care, which runs a lot of the interfacility transfers and occasionally ends up running hot for something.

Life EMS would not take a Basic on a 911 car unless they were in paramedic school. Dust would have loved 'em.

From what I understood after speaking with some of the DPS guys, most of them were trained to the First Responder level, and all of them were dual cop/firefighter types. They did not run city based EMS, due to the companies mentioned above handling it.

Kalamazoo was a great little town... lots of meth labs and drunken college escapades though, due to Western Michigan University and my own little Kalamazoo College...

Wendy

CO EMT-B

[AnthonyM83]

Doesn't Sunnyvale do EMS? I don't they have Fire Ambulances, but don't do they have FFMedics?