911

[kecpercussion]

I think it would be interesting to hear which ambulance companies handle the 911 contract in your areas and some comments about them...

Care to share?

 

[medichopeful]

I think it would be interesting to hear which ambulance companies handle the 911 contract in your areas and some comments about them...

Care to share?

In my town, the fire department handles the 911 calls. They run 2 ALS ambulances, staffed by 2 paramedics (I believe).

I don't know for sure, but I think mutual aid can come from other towns or the privates around here.

 

[kecpercussion]

Yea it seems like a lot more counties are being handled by FDs

 

[HNcorpsman]

in tucson, AZ the tucson fire department runs the 911 calls... usually a ambulance (medic/medic) will respond as well as a engine (4 EMTs). once the medics assess the situation they decide if the PT needs a ALS unit or a BLS unit. if BLS then they call southwest ambulance (private) the engine waits with the PT until the BLS unit arives... the ALS unit leaves and goes back in service when they initially called the BLS unit.

 

[kecpercussion]

Here in Riverside we only run ALS... we don't even have BLS rigs... as far as AMR is concerned

 

[EMT11KDL]

ALS units, ran by the County. Staffed with either 1 medic and basic, 1 medic and Advanced, or 2 medics

 

[Shishkabob]

Fort Worth, Texas.

MedStar, a private, runs it here. Most places around DFW are fire based, but there are a couple private and 3rd service.

 

[kecpercussion]

I think it's way more practical to have private companies take over in largely populated cities

 

[Mountain Res-Q]

Non-profit third party ALS. 4 1/2 Ambos (type 2 vans)staffed Medic/EMT. Fire does BLS First Response Only. Ambo side works great (usually), but I have issue with the way Fire trys to boost the call volume in order to keep funding up. There are areas in the county where a typical response to any medical call (from stubbed toe to Arrest) will get 2 Engines, a Squad, and a Chief in addition to the Ambo (all code 3); or some similar response. Even an arrest doesn't require 10-12 FFs and the Ambo crew!

 

[Cory]

I think it's way more practical to have private companies take over in largely populated cities

I can't think of any logical reason why private companies are more practical than FD ambulances in largely populated areas. Seeing as a lot of emergencies that EMS respond to can involve situation that FD EMS are trained to handle, but not private. Example: fire

 

[medic417]

I can't think of any logical reason why private companies are more practical than FD ambulances in largely populated areas. Seeing as a lot of emergencies that EMS respond to can involve situation that FD EMS are trained to handle, but not private. Example: fire

Your age and lack of experience are showing. Only a small percentage of EMS calls require more than the two Paramedics in the ambulance to show up. It is a waste of tax payer money to dispatch so many pieces of equipment on all calls. It is just a way for obsolete fire departments to stay open.

 

[kecpercussion]

I can't think of any logical reason why private companies are more practical than FD ambulances in largely populated areas. Seeing as a lot of emergencies that EMS respond to can involve situation that FD EMS are trained to handle, but not private. Example: fire

IMO if you have ever worked in the field you will notice that FDs respond to way too many of the calls. It's like for the smallest call you get at least an engine with 4 crew members...so unnecessary if you ask me... but im not saying the FDs aren't helpful cuz i think they are great and couldn't do much without them

 

[Shishkabob]

I can't think of any logical reason why private companies are more practical than FD ambulances in largely populated areas. Seeing as a lot of emergencies that EMS respond to can involve situation that FD EMS are trained to handle, but not private. Example: fire

No one is saying fire can't be a first response agency, such as we have here in Fort Worth.


Calls are in 3 categories-- priority 1, 2, and 3. 3 is sick person ie non-emergent. All priority 1's and 2's get FW Fire dispatched along with the private ambulance.

FD usually beats MedStar to the scene and initiates pt care. MedStar comes and their paramedic is then in charge of pt care, and they do the transportation.




Not only does it save money, but saves un-necessary pieces of equipment (engines) from being in the road, running L&S, for no reason.

 

[Cory]

Okay, but none of you touched on my argument. Why is a private company responding any different than if a FD ambuulance responds. Regardless of if the FD sends more, that is most likely going to happen regardless of the first responder. But you seem to forget that FD's in large cities, as was the topic of the post I responded to, don't send every engine they have to a scene. That is more common in less buisy areas.

Only a small percentage of EMS calls require more than the two Paramedics in the ambulance to show up. It is a waste of tax payer money to dispatch so many pieces of equipment on all calls. It is just a way for obsolete fire departments to stay open.

Okay, but I do not see how giving up an area to private companies would solve that. The FD's are still going to be there, unless you are suggesting that more FD's should close, than I understand your reasoining, but then I also dissagree with it.

No one is saying fire can't be a first response agency, such as we have here in Fort Worth.

umm, re-read the post I responded to:

I think it's way more practical to have private companies take over in largely populated cities

Your age and lack of experience are showing.

You just can't bark without the bite, can you?


-Cory-

 

[daedalus]

I can't think of any logical reason why private companies are more practical than FD ambulances in largely populated areas. Seeing as a lot of emergencies that EMS respond to can involve situation that FD EMS are trained to handle, but not private. Example: fire

I kindly ask how you are qualified to make such an assessment. I have worked in the field for a few years now, and in my experience, I disagree with you. I could go on about the economic, quality of care, environmental, and other reasons, but I think they have been hashed out before.

Anecdote: two days ago I had a CCT call to a small hospital to bring a girl to a trauma center. She had been involved in a motor vehicle accident. When I got to her bedside, she started crying, begging her mom to not let more paramedics touch her. I asked why, and the reason ended up being that the fire fighters had brought her in, and treated her horribly. They inflected more pain and emotional harm by the way they handled her, and said rude things to her. I spent the next half hour apologizing on behalf of my profession to the family, some of whom overheard the outrageous statements made by the firefighter. "Quit crying would you, your being dramatic" and "This is going to hurt a to more if you do not co-operate with me" were some of the highlights.

 

[kecpercussion]

Yea sometimes i feel like showing up first on the scene of a very minor house fire with three of my ALS rigs and helping the FD haha i kid i kid

 

[Sasha]

I kindly ask how you are qualified to make such an assessment. I have worked in the field for a few years now, and in my experience, I disagree with you. I could go on about the economic, quality of care, environmental, and other reasons, but I think they have been hashed out before.

Anecdote: two days ago I had a CCT call to a small hospital to bring a girl to a trauma center. She had been involved in a motor vehicle accident. When I got to her bedside, she started crying, begging her mom to not let more paramedics touch her. I asked why, and the reason ended up being that the fire fighters had brought her in, and treated her horribly. They inflected more pain and emotional harm by the way they handled her, and said rude things to her. I spent the next half hour apologizing on behalf of my profession to the family, some of whom overheard the outrageous statements made by the firefighter. "Quit crying would you, your being dramatic" and "This is going to hurt a to more if you do not co-operate with me" were some of the highlights.

I have heard similar comments from third servie paramedics. There are bad medics everywhere, and they are not limited to fire based EMS.

 

[daedalus]

I have heard similar comments from third servie paramedics. There are bad medics everywhere, and they are not limited to fire based EMS.

Totally. However, I notice that when I go to the hospitals in LA City Fire's call out area, patients are distressed by my presence much more than other areas. Anyone in an ambulance is the same to them. Since I work exclusively CCT now, I deal with the bad decisions of first responders daily at work. Also, that was not meant to be evidence to expel the fire service, just one of my more recent observations of their work.

 

[kecpercussion]

I could imagine...i love first responders if they actually help with some vitals or something ya know? And they need good patient manner so we don't get stuck with angry patients

 

[Shishkabob]

Okay, but none of you touched on my argument. Why is a private company responding any different than if a FD ambuulance responds. Regardless of if the FD sends more, that is most likely going to happen regardless of the first responder. But you seem to forget that FD's in large cities, as was the topic of the post I responded to, don't send every engine they have to a scene. That is more common in less buisy areas.

All the fire based EMS I've seen around here don't send "just" an ambulance. They send an engine AND an ambulance. That's 6 paramedics, at minimum, on every call, from a simple "I stubbed my toe" to a "A shark bit me", from a single station. That, good sir, is a waste.


Fort Worth? An engine on the most major of calls, with 2-3 EMT's and a medic, and 1 private ambulance with an EMT and a medic. I