I don’t think the FD is responsible for the ambulance getting there. They are often the first responders because the locations are more distributed than ambulance dispatch.
Paramedics generally work for the fire department, and ambulances are dispatched from fire stations. The driver on the ambulance is often just a regular fire department chauffer who drew the short straw and is working ambulance duty that shift.
There are private ambulance companies, but those usually aren’t the ones that respond to a 911 calls.
In most areas, private ambulance companies either handle non-emergency medical transport or have contracts with places like nursing homes where they’re needed often enough that they can offer a less-expensive ride.
In my area ambulance is seperate from fire, but fire crew responds to lift assists and certain other calls where we may need a driver or another set of hands for CPR. Some departments respond with a pickup/brush rig, and other respond with the full engine, just depends on manning.
St Louis City is one FD I am aware of that runs their own ambulance.
I don’t think the FD is responsible for the ambulance getting there. They are often the first responders because the locations are more distributed than ambulance dispatch.
Paramedics generally work for the fire department, and ambulances are dispatched from fire stations. The driver on the ambulance is often just a regular fire department chauffer who drew the short straw and is working ambulance duty that shift.
I guess it’s different depending on location. Here the ambulances are private companies and the FD has nothing to do with them
There are private ambulance companies, but those usually aren’t the ones that respond to a 911 calls.
In most areas, private ambulance companies either handle non-emergency medical transport or have contracts with places like nursing homes where they’re needed often enough that they can offer a less-expensive ride.
It depends.
A lot of FDs run the ambulance, a lot don’t.
In my area ambulance is seperate from fire, but fire crew responds to lift assists and certain other calls where we may need a driver or another set of hands for CPR. Some departments respond with a pickup/brush rig, and other respond with the full engine, just depends on manning.
St Louis City is one FD I am aware of that runs their own ambulance.