Fire Truck with Ambulance?

[CA Cop]

A friend of mine asked me this tonight, and I didn't have a good answer, so I thought I'd ask here.

We were at dinner and someone fainted so they called 911 and an ambulance was sent out. They also sent one or two fire trucks (I couldn't see).

Why is it that ambulances never seem to respond without a fire truck? Even to something that obviously has no fire or rescue situation.

Thanks in advance...

[Sandles2Sidearm]

That depends on a few things.

If you are in a County like Orange County, all EMS is sent to the Fire Service First and then Ambulances get dispatched secondly or concurently. In the OC a very few Fire Departments transport their own patients, Newport, Santa Ana, and Orange County Fire (only in two cities). So, the Fire service has EMS contracts with private ambulances to do their transporting of patients, not to mention the only private paramedics in the County are with Air Ambulance Service (Mercy Air).

Or, the person who called 911 said that there is someone hurt, and the dispatcher who took the call interpreted the call as needing as many units as possible. In my area, dispatchers generally send everyone and their mother and whom ever gets there first cancels superfluous units and makes the call on scene, as to what resources are needed.

There are several other possible explanations, but it would be alot easier to give a cogent answer if we knew where you were.

[CA Cop]

We were eating in Burbank, and it was all Burbank fire that responded.

[MrJim911]

It's a matter of internal policy and also location of apparatus, among other things. When I get a request for an ambulance I only hit one tone and they (fire department) decides who goes with the ambulance. I have no say in the matter. Paramedics usually appreciate the manpower to help with equipment and lifting heavy patients. This is rather routine.

[CPD-Dispatcher]

It all depends on the type of call in Columbus. Each fire truck has a medic on board. And also has all the ALS stuff as a ambulance has on board. That way if it is a person passed out, that may require 2 medics in the back of the squad on the way to the hospital then the engine is sent with the medic unit.

It also is sent if the station medic is already out on a call, and another call comes in. The engine is sent along with a medic unit responding from another station. That way the engine can be on scene, start ALS until the medic gets on scene.

[Firewoman203]

In a neighboring city they dispatch the FD who are trained as EMT-B's to assist the ambulance crew on calls. They have a rig set up just for EMS calls. All the FF's are trained as EMT-B's.

Sometimes depending on where the call is the FD's can beat the ambulance and at least start basic care.





Mel
:hustle:

[Signal9TN]

Here we have Fire Fighters on the crash trucks (like Emergency 51) who are 1st Responders. The call goes to EMS , and they decide if they need a first responder enroute also.

[nobody33]

Justification of their jobs. If the fire trucks didn't go to calls as first responders in my area they probally would average one call a day. One call a day isn't enough to justify paying 9 people to man a fire station with full benefits and salaries. Many of the police departments in my area also go to medical aid calls where they might be close and can save a life. It's just a higher level of service.

[unit83]

:hustle: Most departments in upstate NY both paid and volunteer, respond fire/rescue with an ambulance. Many departments here still operate their own ambulance.

[Paulie312]

in philly i noticed that a fire truck is always on scene first ahead of the ambulance. one time i called 911 for someone who feel and broke their leg adn the fire truck was first on scene.. the ambulance came a little afterward..

[pmedic257]

Let me expand on Sigal9tn comment for here. IT depends on if the medical call is in the city or in the county. First you have to understand that here in Clarksville TN, the ambulance service is based through the county, and the county fire departments are all volunteer. The City fire department runs as first responders to priority 1 medical calls, (i.e. CPR in progress, Heart Attack, etc.) If the call is a priority 1 in the city or if the medic asks for help the city fire department will send a rescue truck. Now if that day they are short staffed (1 person on the fire truck) they will send an engine company with them in case the first responder has to go to the hospital with the ambulance. If the rescue truck has 2 personell on it, then you won't get the fire truck. Now in the County when it is priority 1 call or the medic asks for assistance, the page goes out and you are liable to get 20 people on the scene all wanting to help. Don't get me wrong sometimes I like the help, but alot of times that many people get in your way.

[kennethm3]

Ambulance carry few or no extrication tools, usually those are carried on the fire trucks. Dispatchers have little idea about the actual conditions at the scene. Flammables, chemical-fuel type spills, trapped conditions, fire potential, etc. Sending a fire unit insures that all available tools and expertise that may be needed arrive to assist.

[CPD-Dispatcher]

Originally posted by kennethm3
Dispatchers have little idea about the actual conditions at the scene.

I don't think this is all true. If the dispatcher is doing the job he/she was hired to do, then they would have all that info. The caller is the eye's of the dispatcher. A dispatcher can learn alot about what is going on, they just need to know how to do their job to get the info.

[MrJim911]

Originally posted by CPD-Dispatcher
I don't think this is all true. If the dispatcher is doing the job he/she was hired to do, then they would have all that info. The caller is the eye's of the dispatcher. A dispatcher can learn alot about what is going on, they just need to know how to do their job to get the info.

Agreed, proper questioning can and do determine all of those things very easily. I always find out if their are hazmat conditions and if so what the placard # is (without putting the caller in danger of course) so I can advise units what their getting into. Entrapment conditions are also easily obtained. This is all common info gathered by Telecommunicators. Unless your in the profession you probably shouldn't speak to it's abilities and capabilities.

[pmedic257]

Originally posted by CPD-Dispatcher
I don't think this is all true. If the dispatcher is doing the job he/she was hired to do, then they would have all that info. The caller is the eye's of the dispatcher. A dispatcher can learn alot about what is going on, they just need to know how to do their job to get the info.


This is mostly true, but I have the advantage of being able to go the the 911 center at times just to listen and observe. (My other half being a dispatcher) I also used to be a dispatcher at one time. Some of the time you can get the information you need by asking the correct question, BUT alot of the time you couldn't pry the information out of them with a crowbar. We get an abundance of calls (thanks to the wonderful cell phone system) were someone who was driving by called in an accident and can't tell you anything more then, if you are lucky, the color of the vehicle and vehicles let alone anything else about them. For example, I was in the dispatch center yesterday when they received a call of a lady who had her ankle almost amputated. They gave me the phone to try and tell the caller what she should do until the medic unit got on the scene. The caller was more interested in telling me she had to hang-up and call the victims family. The dispatcher and I neither one could ever get the lady to tell us if the lady was near the road or out in the middle of a field, or out on a trail. She kept repeating I need to hang up and call the family. People aren't usually inherently stupid, but put them in a situation and the panic. ;) ;)