New Castle County EMS

[WelshMedic]

oh oh oh can I come too?

Maybe I can arrange some ride time where I work if you are interested.

I feel an EMT city mini get-together coming on! Where do you work?

WM

[FireMedic65]

I feel an EMT city mini get-together coming on! Where do you work?

WM

I am located in east/central PA.

I will get you what info you need. Send me a PM and I'll get you contact info.

[WelshMedic]

No transport? So I'm assuming the medic will jump on the private/vollie transport ambulance. So does that mean they have to carry all their ALS equipt with them off the truck and onto the ambulance for every call? How do you get back to your truck after the call?

Do you ride solo or with an EMT/Medic on the non-transporting trucks?

Thanks again, I read the thread regarding which service to visit during your trip here. The banter gave me a headache.

You are largely right. NCC has double medics. Usually the second medic will drive behind the ambulance that is transporting. If there is a second call, however, the second medic gets diverted. You then have to arrange a rendez-vouz after you've both finished your calls. Don't worry though, this rarely happens.

WM

(And yes, they carry all the equipment with them, and all the trucks are double equipped as well as double paramedic crewed.)

[Dustdevil]

I'm not liking the sounds of this system at all.

[WelshMedic]

I'm not liking the sounds of this system at all.

Why am I not surprised?

[FireMedic65]

This is how EMS is in a lot of PA. Especially in the more rural areas that are littered with volunteer BLS services. Pretty much every little town has one. An ALS service will cover a large area, and when there is a 911 emergency, the ALS and BLS will respond. The medic will ride in the BLS unit with the patient, while the other medic from the ALS unit follows. Personally, I think it is a huge waste of resources. You do not need two ambulances for only ONE patient. Given, you might need more help for certain types of calls. Just my opinion.

[Richard B the EMT]

I'm not liking the sounds of this system at all.

While admitting there is always room for improvement in any system, a bad system is still better than NO system at all.

[Dustdevil]

While admitting there is always room for improvement in any system, a bad system is still better than NO system at all.

Absolutely. Things can always get a lot worse, that's for sure. I'm just not a fan of any kind of "tiers" in EMS. Separate agencies providing care and transportation is just a very disjointed and inconsistent approach to medical care that can never equal the potential of single agency services. It also often results in the inevitable problems of the treating agency looking for excuses to dump patients on the transporting service, a la Seattle and Los Angeles. On the positive side, it does allow private services to remain in business for a piece of the pie, instead of establishing a total government monopoly.

[Chief1C]

Del-A-Where?

[Mparham02]

Los Angeles County Fire uses a similar system with private ambulance transport.