Advance Life Support - ALS Engines
Why does a fire truck come to my house when I called for an ambulance?
The first reason has to do with having enough staffing to take care of the patient. All of our firefighters are also trained as paramedics. There are at least two firefighter/paramedics on the ambulances as well as the fire trucks/engines.
Many times, when someone is very sick or injured, they need advanced life support (ALS) care. ALS treatment includes starting Intravenous (IV) fluids, monitoring cardiac rhythms, providing oxygen, administering medications, possibly performing CPR, and/or defibrillating a patient. National standards recommend four personnel for ALS incidents.
The next reason to have extra personnel from the fire truck/engine has to do with helping to safely move the patient to the ambulance. Most people that are so sick that they need an ambulance need to be carried on a cot. If the bedroom is on the second floor, or if there are steps outside the house, it may take more than two people to safely get the patient down the steps.
The third reason for sending a fire truck or an engine on an ambulance call is if the closest ambulance is busy and unavailable. Again, the staff on the fire trucks and engines are also paramedics and carry the same ALS medical equipment as an ambulance, and they can begin care before the ambulance arrives.