Why do fire engines respond to emergency medical calls?
Engine 1 and Engine 2 are staffed with at least two firefighters who are trained as Emergency Medical Technicians. These apparatus carry basic medical equipment and an automatic external defibrillator (AED), which is able to “jump start” the heart of patients in certain types of cardiac arrest. In most instances, firefighters are able to arrive on scene and initiate patient care before an ambulance can arrive, which results in better care for the patient. If the medical emergency is especially serious, firefighters will also be needed to assist the paramedic & EMT on the ambulance.
