The Round Table
departments
Does your department provide any type of emergency medical service for the people you serve? If so, just what type of service is it? And how is this service funded (taxes, fund raising, etc.?)
Norman R. Smith, Chief, Center Line, Mich.: The fire department is assigned to provide the citizens of our city free ambulance service to local hospitals. Non-residents are charged for this service. The cost of providing this service comes from taxes.
No additional personnel are added to perform this service, however, we are doing less fire prevention work in order to accomodate the EMS service.
I do not agree that this work should be a part of the fire service when men are taken away from normal fire service responsibilities of prevention and extinguishment.
Just a short time ago we said we can not perform both fire and police duties because they are two separate and distinct professions. I wonder how we are supposed to be a fire protection specialist and a doctor’s assistant.
I think the fire service is way off base to think we can perform our primary assignment and EMS with the same people, when we are failures in reducing the loss of life and property from fire, which is our primary responsibility.
Jim L. Johnson, Chief, Corona, Calif.:
We provide medical aid and rescue service with the engine companies. All personnel have California level of first aid/CPR training. Heavy rescue is provided by the truck company and/or squad units. Paramedic (MICU) is provided by private ambulance service. All funding is from general tax revenues.
Unfortunately in the past few years, requests for medical aid and related services have grown to a point where we are hardpressed to answer all calls. We feel this is due to television exposure and that many will call the fire department for free service rather than go to the hospital emergency rooms.
Richard Charter, Chief, Maumee, Oh.: The fire division operates four life squads. One of these is owned by the Lucas CountyRegional Emergency Medical Services of Northwest Ohio, Inc. and is manned by the City of Maumee full-time paramedics who are partially subsidized by a county wide levy. It covers an assigned area of the City of Maumee and a part of the City of Toledo, and also surrounding townships and villages.
The City of Maumee owns the other three life squads and they are for the City of Maumee residents only. They are manned with part-time paramedics and EMTs who standby on six hour shifts and are paid standby time and hourly for runs. These units are also used for transports and back-up for REMSNO Unit.
All emergency medical services and equipment is budgeted and funded from the general fund of the city. We have 10 fulltime paramedics and 16 part-time EMTs.
Clyde F. Neely, Chief, Boone, Iowa:
Our department provides emergency rescue service for any call in our county area, any area with mutual aid connections, or by call from any law enforcement people. We do not have ambulance service, but we work closely with the Boone County Hospital crews. We have at least two EMTs working on each shift on our department. We have a rescue truck with the special tools used for rescue work.
Robert L. Wilcox, Chief, Prairie Village, Ks.: Fire District No. 2 Johnson County supplies emergency medical service to an area covering approximately 13 1/2 square miles with a population of about 80,000. The service is provided with 24-hour coverage with at least one EMT aboard the unit at all times. Taxation for the unit is provided under the regular fire district tax which is levied for fire protection. We cover all or parts of eight northeast Johnson County cities.
Jack L. Jones, Chief, South Charleston, W.V.: Our department supplements the county ambulance authority. We are used as a back-up unit in our city. Our service is tax funded. We have 29 EMTs, including two paramedics.
