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.?)
Jack M. Hamilton, Chief, Prescott, Ariz.: The City of Prescott Fire Department serves a population of approximately 20,000 persons and responds into a semi-rural area of approximately 22 square miles. Since 1974 the Prescott Fire Department has provided our citizens with emergency medical services using trained EMT personnel operating from both pumper trucks and one rescue unit.
Paramedical type rescue services were not available previous to this time in areas like ours in Arizona, because most small areas could not provide resident physicians at their hospitals and meet the legal requirements for paramedic services. Recently, the State of Arizona passed legislation which allows semi-paramedical services to be provided in communities like ours. This program, known as the I-EMT Program, is an advanced life support type program but hospitals are not required to furnish resident physicians.
Our department has just this past month graduated our first class of six I-EMT’s and we will be implementing this advanced life support type rescue service program in Prescott sometime within the next 60 days. As existing fire fighters are used to provide this service in our community as well as our previous EMT service, no additional taxes above those already required to provide fire protection have been necessary. With the implementation of the 1-EMT Program, materials used in the field to provide patient care will be hilled to those patients upon entering our local hospital.
Fred H. Entrikin, Jr., Chief, Webster Groves, Mo.: We provide a life support vehicle for the citizens of our community, which covers six square miles with approximately 30,000 people. Our department is all paid—40 people, including the command officers. We have 25 EMTs and nine paramedics. We have had an on-going public education program to acquaint our citizens with the fact that this LSV is for emergency calls only. We have a back-up ambulance from the private sector to handle all such transport and non-emergency calls. Our LSV is funded entirely by the taxpayers of the City of Webster Groves through revenue from taxes.
James R. Eddy, Deputy Fire Chief, Harrington, R.I.: The Barrington Fire Department operates a complete rescue service for the citizens it serves. The rescue operates as a mobile coronary care unit and has two fire fighters assigned at all times. Members assigned to the rescue are required to have Red Cross First Aid, EMT, and EMTA. In addition members must take training in l.V. therapy and medications. Practical training is provided by a local hospital and consists of working in both the emergency room and coronary care unit. The rescue telemeters the patient’s EKG to the hospital and administers whatever IV or medication treatment that is so indicated.
The program was begun by the use of federal funds secured by the state department of health. The service is now funded by the community through taxes, however major equipment is still funded through the state.
John F. Payne, Acting Chief, Indio, Calif.: Our department provides emergency medical service to a city of 20,000 with an area of 14 square miles. The department responds to all rescue and medical aid calls and renders aid at the EMT-I level.
The service is manned by on duty fire fighters and funded from the fire department operating budget.
Alan Judson, Asst. Chief, Juneau, Ak.:
The City and Borough of Juneau provides 24-hour ambulance service to the people with trained staff of two EMTs on each ambulances. The EMTs are trained in I.V. therapy, M.A.S.T. and E.O.A.’s.
One ambulance is stationed at the downtown station (Juneau Fire Department) and one ambulance is stationed in the rural area (Glacier Fire Station).
Both ambulances are funded from property taxes and the manning is provided by the fire department and our firefighter/EMTs.
Harold Bessire, Chief, Carrollton, Tex.:
The city of Carrollton Fire Department, population approximately 45,000, has paramedic ambulance service available to its population through the fire department. We presently have six paramedics, with six new men who began paramedic ambulance duties in November, 1979. Out of our 51 fire fighters, 32 have EMT level certification. The remainder of our firemen have at least ECA level of medical training, with plans to attend EMT school in the near future. We presently operate two ambulances, and plan to purchase a third one.
Our fire department ambulance service is funded through bond elections and taxpayers.
H. Richard Harrigan, Chief, Hobart, Ind.: The Hobart Fire Department provides emergency medical services for the people of the city of Hobart and surrounding areas.
We run two fully equipped rescue units. These units respond to all P.I. accidents within the city of Hobart and I-65, I-94 and U.S. Highway 30 which borders the city on three sides.
The units are manned by certified EMT’s. In addition to the personal injury accidents, these units also respond to any emergency health problems such as heart attacks, injuries in homes, etc.
This service is funded by taxes and manned by full-time paid fire fighters.
The city of Hobart has 15 square miles within the corporate limits and services a population of 25,000. We also provide service for Indiana State Police and Lake County Sheriff Department.
Robert H. Ely, Director, Kirkland, Wash.: Our department, which consists of a city of 19,000 people and a fire district of approximately 30,000 people, provides the first line of emergency medical service. Out of our four stations we have four aid cars, two of which have ambulance qualifications. Our hospital provides the paramedic service. About 60 percent of our 53 volunteers are EMTs and all of our 16 career people are certified EMTs.
Our fire department and the Evergreen Hospital Paramedics are dispatched by our contracted dispatchers. Our systems work very well as the hospital covers a larger area than does our department and can better fund their operation. The Evergreen Paramedics also cover an area encompassing five other fire department service areas.
Funding for our operation comes out of the property taxes collected in the city and district. The Evergreen Paramedic operation is covered by an excess levy voted in by the citizens each year.
There is a movement underway to have all of the citizens in the county voting to support emergency medical services throughout King County. The funds would then be distributed to fire departments and paramedic units based on their activity.
Robert C. Lynam, Chief, Miles City, Mont.: Our department has been providing ambulance service for our area for the last 22 years. The Miles City Fire Department is made up of 17 full-paid and 12 part-paid fire fighters. We provide the only ambulance service for the county with a population of 15,000 and covering about 3600 square miles.
We average about 600 ambulance runs each year which includes scheduled transfers as well as emergency calls. We also transport patients from our local hospital to the regional medical center which is about 145 miles away.
All of the ambulance drivers and attendants are EMT-basic trained along with a continuing education program directed by the local emergency medical services council. Our ambulance service works with the local hospital both in training and joint use of special equipment.
Our ambulance service is funded by a direct charge to the users as well as funding from the city of Miles City and Custer County. We also use revenue sharing monies in the purchase of special equipment.
Tom L. Foster, Chief, Kent, Wa.: Our fire department provides basic emergency medical service. The county provides paramedic service to the area. Our department provides service to a city and a fire district of about 50 square miles and 60,000 people with an assessed valuation of $1.3 billion.
All paid personnel, and some key volunteers below the rank of deputy chief are trained to the EMT level.
We have two ambulance type aid cars. An engine is dispatched with the aid car if it can reach the scene before the aid car. An engine and an aid car are dispatched on all reported injury auto accidents.
The service is funded mostly by taxes, but we do have a separate fund called Operation Concern where donated monies are placed. Most of this money is used to train the public in CPR.
D.E. Young, Chief, Laramie, Wy.: We have provided emergency medical care, including transportation, within the corporate limits of our city. On July 1, 1979, we contracted with our local hospital district to provide the same service county-wide. We think this is a good example of two separate jurisdictions working cooperatively to meet each others needs.
As a result of this agreement, we now have six additional fire fighters on the department. All personnel assigned to our EMS units are trained to the minimum level of EMT-1. Our emergency room doctors are presently developing advanced training which will lead to the paramedic level.
We own three ambulances, two of which are manned 24 hours a day. One is stationed at fire headquarters and one at the local hospital. Our men on duty at the hospital spend a minimum of six hours each shift working in the emergency room. Much of their training is received at this time. They also respond to all fire emergencies.
We will respond to over 1,300 requests for service annually. The service is funded through the general operating budget of both the City of Laramie and the hospital district.
Daniel F. Delcamp, Chief, Goshen, Ind.:
The Goshen Fire Department provides advanced life support care for its citizens. We also provide the same service for all of Elkhart Township and some parts of the surrounding townships.
The last two ambulances were purchased with funds collected through area wide ambulance drives. All. of the other costs involved in running the program are paid for with tax money.
All of the aidmen that run on the ambulance also are firemen.
Carl R. Johnson, Chief, Covina, Calif.:
Our department was established as a fullpaid force in 1956. From 1956 to 1975, we operated the usual rescue/salvage unit manned by First-Aid Trained fire fighters and equipped with forceable entry tools, first-aid supplies, and resuscitator. In January 1975, we placed our first modular bodied rescue unit in service manned by paramedic/fire fighters. This unit responds to all medical emergencies along with the nearest engine company . All engine company personnel have been extensively trained by the paramedics on procedures that dovetail with the paramedic functions. Our paramedics do not transport, although the rescue has that capability. The local ambulance agency provides most required transportation needs.
The paramedic service is funded through the annual fire department budget. Local service clubs annually contribute funds toward specialized new rescue equipment (i.e. M.A.S.T. suits, backboards, resuscitators, etc.)
G. Blackford, Chief, Broken Arrow, Ok.: Yes, we provide complete emergency and non-emergency ambulance service. Our personnel are trained EMTs as well as fire fighters.
Our service is funded through charges for the service to the patient and by a charge each month for water users, both in the city and out.