Crew of 3?.......

BigPoppa

BigPoppa

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Does anybody routinely run ambulance crews of 3? If so, in what configuration? (2 PM, 1 EMT, etc.)
 
I know Ocean City FD in Maryland does, but I have only third hand knowledge of their system. They cross staff an engine as required, so their ambulance typically works with two medics and an EMT. Their minimum staffing is one paramedic plus two of whatever else, so it's often staffed with a random Maryland "Cardiac Tech" and/or an EMT in addition to the medic.

Our ALS intercept department will basically make an ambulance crew of 3 most of the time when we go on ALS calls with the BLS ambulance and transport with them. This results in one EMT in the back with the medic and one EMT or driver driving the ambulance.
 
BigPoppa said:
Does anybody routinely run ambulance crews of 3? If so, in what configuration? (2 PM, 1 EMT, etc.)
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We nearly always have 3 on our ambulance at my fire department. Minimum staffing of a Paramedic and a Basic, with a 3rd person trainee just about every hour of every shift. We're a combination department and have a large number of volunteers of various certifications and stages of training.
 
Its not standard practice, but it does happen due to staffing sometimes or precepting. a medic I know recently ended up on a rig with an emt and a nurse for a whole shift. Must be nice.
 
BigPoppa said:
Does anybody routinely run ambulance crews of 3? If so, in what configuration? (2 PM, 1 EMT, etc.)
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It's pretty common on CCT units.

At my last job it was usually RN/RN/EMT or RN/RRT/EMT.
 
My first private company in LA County ran 5-6 dedicated CCT units that were staffed EMT/EMT/RN. A Paramedic could pick up an open EMT shift but only if there weren't any open medic shifts and there was always an open medic shift or two so it was always two basics and a nurse on board.

One of the fire departments that's part of the regional dispatch/automatic and mutual aid region of the department I work at now has an RA (paramedic Rescue Ambulance) that is routinely 3 man with one of their auxiliaries, so it's minimum 2 medics and more often than not paramedic/paramedic/emt with the auxiliary.
 
Snohomish (WA) Fire District one routinely cross staffed and engine and a medic unit with three personnel. An officer, a firefighter and a firefighter paramedic. In the event of a motor vehicle accident or fire, they would respond in the engine to those calls in their first due area. There was a full set of ALS gear on the engine. When dispatched to a medical call, all three would respond in the ambulance.
 
I'm on a three person ambulance right now for Field Training time at my part time place. For about half the year we'll have five or six ambulances running with an FTO Medic and whoever is precepting. And if somone's partner calls out, they ride on those cars. So on scene of an average medical we'll have seven people along with the FD. Too many.
 
My agency is all volunteer 911 response, working evenings, holidays and weekends. We generally have large teams, so most calls have four crew members, two EMTs minimum, but all combinations of Paramedic, EMTs, trainees, and observers. Apparently things go in cycles, a few years ago there was talk of having to have paid staff at nights as they were having trouble getting two EMTs at the station for shifts.
 
It's the usual practice for our CCT and NICU calls. The 2x EMT crew picks up/meets the CCT rig with the CCT RN either at station or at the hospital, whatever works out to be faster.

For NICU, the 2x EMT crew picks up the dedicated NICU rig with the NICU team, which is usually an RN, RT, and possibly an MD. If there also happens to be a trainee/ridealong, it gets to be quite the clown car.
 
We rarely run more than two people on each truck. And there's very rarely a FF on our scenes to drive, so we get good at being solo attendings. My old volunteer dept would sometimes have three, but I know when I was on shift I wouldn't let anymore than three, counting myself, run on the ambulance at a time. Too many hands, not enough room.
 
most paid departments don't run with 3 people, because the minimum required is 2 (one to drive, one to treat), especially in 911 systems. only time we have a 3rd is if someone is training.

I'm guessing those FDs that run 3 person crews are single pull stations, so they engine goes OOS if they get an EMS call, or the crew hops on whatever apparatus is being requested. Kinda hard to do much with only one guy driving an engine when you pull up to a fire.

CCT is often 1 PM, 1 EMT, 1 RN, or 1 RN 2 EMTs
 
Some of the suburban departments here staff an engine and ambulance with three. If a second medical comes in the third person takes it a pickup and awaits another unit. If its a fire they bring the engine to get it there and join another crew.
 
Many companies that provide SCT transports in New Jersey run with EMT/EMT/RN. The state requires two EMTs and an RN for SCT transports. However, this standard can also be accomplished with an EMT and and RN that is also an EMT.

At my volunteer squad, we regularly have three people per truck. Most of the time, the third/fourth is in training, but sometimes they are on based on their availability.
 
My volly squad was almost always 1 ALS, 1 basic and a driver with a CPR card
 
The volly squads I've been on have a 2 EMT minimum but almost always have 3 EMTs or 2 EMTS & 1 trainee.
 
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