Rescue care: for modern house calls dial 911

[CBEMT]

Tiverton Fire Chief Robert D. Lloyd interrupted an interview at department headquarters one recent Friday morning, jumped into his red SUV command car, and headed south to Tiverton Four Corners. A man there had reported chest pains.

It was the third emergency medical call to the fire department within the last half hour and the department was spread thin. If a fourth call came in, Chief Lloyd said from behind the wheel — using his siren to clear traffic — he would likely have to summon mutual aid from a nearby community. Crucial time would be lost.

“You’re constantly thinking about your options,” he said, swerving past cars that had pulled over, “and what do you do if the next thing happens, and where is everything, your men, your equipment. Whenever you respond, you leave a hole that has to be covered.”

Minutes earlier, an engine from the Crandall Road fire station, and one rescue vehicle (Rescue 1) from the East Road station, had rushed to a car accident on Bulgarmarsh Road. The victim had to be taken to St. Anne’s Hospital’s emergency room in Rescue 1.

Minutes later, the victim of a head injury near Bulgarmarsh and Stafford roads needed help. Rushing to that incident was the engine from Crandall Road, which had just cleared the car accident, and the town’s second and last remaining rescue vehicle (Rescue 2) from Main Road. The head injury victim was also driven to St. Anne’s, in Rescue 2.

Then came the third call. No third rescue vehicle was available from Tiverton. Mutual aid was invoked, and Little Compton sent out a rescue truck which immediately began the long trip up from Little Compton to Four Corners.

When a medical emergency call comes in, Chief Lloyd said, you always send a rescue truck and an engine (three firefighters), for manpower, for advance life support, and to protect the scene, because you never know what you’re going to find — a drug overdose, a distraught family, more than one patient.

That Friday morning, with all other Tiverton staff busy, Chief Lloyd himself set out from headquarters at 85 Main Road to help the Four Corners chest pain victim.

http://www.eastbayri.com/detail/133168.html

The comment thread is.... interesting.

I will say that, knowing what I do about RI, Tiverton FD having 15 paramedics for a department their size puts them above and beyond the vast majority of the state's departments, considering most of the population is served by sub-paramedic ALS providers.

Edited January 3, 2010 by CBEMT

[Mario1105]

http://www.eastbayri...ail/133168.html

The comment thread is.... interesting.

I will say that, knowing what I do about RI, Tiverton FD having 15 paramedics for a department their size puts them above and beyond the vast majority of the state's departments, considering most of the population is served by sub-paramedic ALS providers.

well this looks good maybe they will be hiring when i get done with schooling

[CBEMT]

I wouldn't hold my breath.

[+medic]

Sounds like they need a third rescue unit or better plan for mutual aid. Perhaps there is a privet ambulance company that's closer to the town then whats in there mutual aid agreement with other local towns. But with money and all being short I doubt that they would have any more then three rescue units in a town of that size.

After all Fire Department Ambulances keep many Fire Departments public funding in place. A Fire Department based Ambulance is a mobile money maker for many departments.

Sounds like during peak times there FD gets busy with the equipment and units they have.

Edited June 8, 2010 by +medic