Why is a fire engine sent to respond to a medical call?
All fire engines in San Mateo County are staffed with at least one firefighter/paramedic. Fire stations are placed throughout the community to provide “coverage” that allows the department to meet response time standards for both Emergency Medical Service (EMS) calls and fire/ hazardous conditions calls. The time standard for EMS calls is to have first responders “on-scene” within 6:39 from the time of dispatch. For fire/hazardous conditions calls, the standard is to have a minimum of 15 fire personnel “on-scene” within 11 minutes of dispatch. Our fire engines carry both fire/rescue and EMS equipment. Each is staffed with 3 personnel; this is the national minimum for fire engine staffing. At an EMS call, especially a trauma or heart attack incident, the paramedic tends to the patient supported by at least one Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). The third person in the crew is the Fire Captain who manages the incident. The Captain is responsible for overall scene safety, coordination of
Related Questions
- Frequently Asked Questions Why does a fire engine or rescue truck respond ahead of the private ambulance to medical emergencies?
- Why does the fire engine respond when a request is made for an ambulance for a person with a medical condition?
- Why does a fire engine or rescue truck respond with private ambulance companies to medical emergencies?
