Chicago Fire Department Ambulances?

[WestTac1]

Just curious, are Chicago FD's ambulances staffed by Firefighter-Paramedics?

Do they respond from their respective firehouses?

Always wondered.

[bfdpipeman]

All Chicago Ambos are stationed at regular fire houses. Each ambo either has 2 medics or 2 emt-b's. the two medic ambos are staffed by full time, medic only members. the bls ambos are staffed by fire fighters who are keeping up their emt-b license by rotating onto the ambo for x amount of shifts per month. There are also ALS engine companies and soon to be ALS truck companies, which have ALS equipment and at least one medic and one emt-b.

[firemedickyle]

Hey WestTac1

I notice your profile picture is of an ambulance on a GMC chasis. Is that correct? The ambulance service, I work for is expecting delievery of a GMC ambulance in early April. We did a lot of research on GMC prior to the decision being made. I'm curious to know if you have any input about the GMC chasis? Any other information would be great! Thanks!

[trainer]

Hey WestTac1

I notice your profile picture is of an ambulance on a GMC chasis. Is that correct? The ambulance service, I work for is expecting delievery of a GMC ambulance in early April. We did a lot of research on GMC prior to the decision being made. I'm curious to know if you have any input about the GMC chasis? Any other information would be great! Thanks!

I was in one yesterday, well a chevy anyways, what a sweet ride. Our ambo service took delivery of one this week, I think it's an AVI sold through AFE. Didn't get to drive it but did start it up, purrrrs like a kitten almost no knock, guy's said it was fast. Beats the hell out of the old Ford cube.

[tower37]

I am one of those EMT's that mans the BLS ambulances in Chicago. Contractually, I have to ride the ambo 6 times a quarter to be eligible for the BLS Incentive Pay (4% annually and it's pensionable). Ambulance numbers 1-79 are ALS. Anything over 80 is BLS. I ride the 2 busiest BLS ambulances in Chicago 89 and 94. They do about 18-20 runs a night. 89 is located at Engine 60's quarters and 94 is located at Engine 101's quarters.

[CDN1262]

Ambulances 1 through 60 are ALS - they haven't QUITE gotten up to #79 yet. And there are 5 ALS trucks coming, although that's going to do nothing but create havoc, especially since 2 of them are in areas that are long distances from their next closest trucks, and while their fire duty isn't anything to write home about, their engines catching a fire with those ALS trucks on out ambulance runs are gonna have a LOOONNNNNNGGGGGG wait for a truck.