firetrucks and equipment

[FredG]

My VFD runs 2 BLS ambulances. Of the 5 Fire apparatus, only the Rescue Truck has medical gear. That truck has a full BLS jump bag, O2, set of splints, boards and collars. Basically, it meets the state's requirements for a First Response Vehicle. Our department allows members who sign up to be fire only, EMS only, or both. We have 22 EMTs, of which 12 decided to cross train for Fire and EMS and we have 2 FF who are CFRs. So, the Rescue always rolls with at least one CFR or EMT aboard. Of course, our SOPs are that whenever the Rescue responds (within district, Mutual aid calls expect the M/A dept to supply the ambulance unless they also call for our rig), one of our ambulances go with it.

Two neighboring departments also have ATVs setup for EMS response. If we need those units, they have to be towed on a trailer and will usually take the ambulance crew aboard upon arrival.

Several VFDs in the region have set up their brush truck or mini-pumper to also handle EMS and a couple of the VFDs that don't run ambulances still have a brush truck setup for responses to priority 1 or 2 calls in their district coinciding with the transporting agency. I personally like the brush trucks setup for EMS because they are 4x4 vehicles and prove to be useful when we can't get an ambulance up into the woods or some unplowed long driveways. The best setup I have seen is from one of our neighbors, who has a quad cab pickup setup with the fire pump, tank, and other brush fire equipment in the bed of the truck with the hose reel offset to one side so they can secure a stokes basket on top of the tank. The EMS equipment is all situated behind the driver's seat in a rack and they can still respond with 3 to most calls.

[mountaineer48]

We have a heavy rescue with backboards, scoop, stokes basket, AED, splints, KED, c-collars, O2, full jump bag, suction, etc. The biggest difference between our BLS non-transport trucks & the Ambulances is the AED. Plain jane AED (as a nod to first responders) as opposed to a Lifepack 12 (soon to be 15's!). Our FD also just bought a F250 to use as a First Responder truck and this will probably have a Lifepack on it now that we have a couple of EMT-B's, a EMT-I and a Medic running more often than not.

[SierraSierra]

We always deploy our rescue rig that has most anything & everything we can use until the ambulance arrives.... excluding ALS drugs, of course. We have backboards, O2, AED, Trauma bags, medical bags, suction... along with our rope rescue, water rescue & extrication equipment, all up to date, amen.

[Just Plain Ruff]

I still don't understand departments that send a fire truck, a quick response vehicle and a ambulance to a medical call. Add a couple of cop cars as first responders and maybe a volunteer or 12 and you get my drift.

Seems like many departments just overkill these things.

Sure there are times when that much help would be warranted but on a simple call, do you really want that many emergency vehicles responding from different directions thus increasing the risk of accidents?

I just never have understood the justification of sending upwards of 10 personnel to a fractured ankle or simple sick call.

A cardiac arrest is one thing but then again, how many people total will you really use to work a code?

[Bieber]

I still don't understand departments that send a fire truck, a quick response vehicle and a ambulance to a medical call. Add a couple of cop cars as first responders and maybe a volunteer or 12 and you get my drift.

Seems like many departments just overkill these things.

Sure there are times when that much help would be warranted but on a simple call, do you really want that many emergency vehicles responding from different directions thus increasing the risk of accidents?

I just never have understood the justification of sending upwards of 10 personnel to a fractured ankle or simple sick call.

A cardiac arrest is one thing but then again, how many people total will you really use to work a code?

I agree... tremendously. We recently adopted pit crew CPR and CCR, which is awesome and great. But whereas before we'd get a squad and an engine and maybe a medic supervisor, now on every code blue we get...

Ambulance (x2 paramedics)

Squad (x2 EMTs/rarely medics)

Engine (x4 EMTs/rarely medics)

Medic Supervisor

FIre Medical (not sure why?)

All to have a minimum of 3 people to handle compressions and ventilation (after x3 rounds), plus the medics from the ambulance to do IV/IO access and drugs, and run the monitor... It's out of control, and honestly fire's starting to get obnoxious on codes. Fire's role is strictly BLS in codes, so I'm unsure why we need x7+ EMT's to do what could be handled by 3... Not that we're a whole lot better with 3 paramedics where 1 would suffice most of the time...

Unfortunately, it's not just code blues but most calls that are getting overkilled and over saturated with providers.