question for depts that run EMS

[Eng522ine]

My department was the first in our area to have it's own ambulance. Transport service prior to that purchase was provided by the local hospital. Our ambulance was originally bought in case a firefighter was injured but, eventually the public learned of it and started requesting it instead of calling the hospital for their rig. Today we operate ambulances out of our 5 station and EMS makes up approximately 80-90% of our call volume (approx. 2000 EMS calls/year). We are an all volunteer department providing BLS level care with hospital based ALS. We do not bill for BLS transport but, the hospitals do bill for ALS treatment.

CollegeBuff... just out of curiousity... what's an EMT-C? I'm an EMT-B and I know of EMT-D's, -I's, and -P's... but I've never heard of -C's. I'm not being argumentative, I'm just wondering why I've never heard of them.

Stay safe all.

[FiRsqDvr45]

Hmm..This is a good question I should find out in case a resident asks me.

We deliver EMS and have for most of our departments short 44 years. I believe the department chose to do it as a civic minded operation. We now operate an ALS ambulance, an ALS engine, and our staff car, second engine, and ladder are BLS equipped.

I believe an EMT-C is EMT- Cardiac, somewhere abouts an I or a P...

[IGO4IT]

in VA emt-c the c stood for cardiac as we were like advanced emts' but with full scope ACLS drugs, defib... our combo. dept runs 1100 calls a year we started running EMS 4 yrs ago as a way to increase run volume and justify increasing our manpower.. my rural VFD started running EMS first response just be cause it is the best thing to do for the people we serve.

[hazmat112]

My department has run EMS since we made the big transition from ambulance drivers to EMT's and medics.... I don't see our ambulance service coming to a stop anytime soon.
Even if you don't like running a box out of your station, remember it beefs up run numbers, the taxpayers love it and most importantly, what else do most of us have to do other than sit in the recliner and wait for an alarm to come in. Without the ambulance.... some of us may be in that recliner for a looooooooong time.

[FHandz17]

Our city has 3 stations serving 10 sq miles. Three other cities in the county with the same situation closed one of the 3 stations years ago, now running with only 2.

Our city has discusssed closing our 3rd station, and we have convinced them that it must remain open for EMS response to that part of the city.

Also, we just passed a 7 million dollar bond issue to rebuild all 3 houses, new ladder trk, new pumper, 2 new ambulances, 2 TIC, safety trailer and other equipment.

They see our pumpers and rescue trk running 10-12 EMS calls a day, plus the Fire calls here and there, and they passed the bond issue by 80%.

EMS isn't for every dept, but it has given us new stations, more people and new equipment.

We run EMS to justify our level of staffing and budgets, and to provide the best service to our citizens.

[Eng522ine]

FiRsqDvr45, GO4IT..... thanks guys, appreciate the info. It helps me see just how far behind the rest of the world NJ's EMS set-up is... lol. Stay safe.

[canman]

It's something to do until the car wrecks and fires come around. Now seriously we started it out as a need for the community since there was none out here when the dept. started and have kept it going ever since.