How many on your ambulance?

Tigger

Dodges Pucks
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The city has some ambulances now? How long has that been going on?

The two squads have probably been around for close to ten years now. They've only been licensed to transport for a year or two though. In addition to having a first due for medicals, one is sent on every working fire, and both for anything above that. They do scene rehab or transport for injured FFs.
 

chaz90

Community Leader
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The two squads have probably been around for close to ten years now. They've only been licensed to transport for a year or two though. In addition to having a first due for medicals, one is sent on every working fire, and both for anything above that. They do scene rehab or transport for injured FFs.

Huh. Clearly I don't make it downtown nearly often enough. I have to figure that working on a (mostly) non transporting ambulance is a pretty cushy job.
 

Jim37F

Forum Deputy Chief
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Our private company ambulance service BLS ambulances have 2x EMTs
Our ALS ambulance typically runs dual medic (I'll have to double check but I'm pretty sure in a pinch they can staff 1 Paramedic and 1 EMT, that's how the ALS ambulances for all the other privates in our area run)
For a CCT call one of our BLS units will return to station to pick up the CCT RN and their equipment.

If we have a third rider it's typically an EMT student doing their ride along for school, a new hire EMT doing FTO time or an EMT doing drivers training with a supervisor (while the attendant rides in the back all day). But that's only occasionally and I've never seen more than three assigned to one unit for a shift.

Note that this is a fire based EMS system so that in addition to our BLS ambulance all 911 calls also get a fire engine with 4x FF/EMTs (sometimes one or two of them are FF/Paramedics) plus a non transporting Paramedic Rescue Squad with 2x FF/Paramedics.

Our ALS unit pretty much only does ALS IFTs, occasionally when alk our BLS units are on calls they'll go out for coverage, and even more occasionally will provide backup 911 services to neighboring cities.
 

rwik123

Forum Asst. Chief
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Double medic ALS and double basic BLS at my paid job.

My volunteer squad runs a 4 person crew. 1 driver, crew chief, EMT, and a 4th rider in training.
 

adamjh3

Forum Culinary Powerhouse
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The county I work in is pretty much rural with some suburbs and small cities, we'll run anywhere from 7-10 ambulances to cover the majority of the county, with the exception of one FD that has two or three boxes.

We try to run Medic/EMT on most of the rigs with one or two EMT/EMT rigs to handle IFTs.

As far as mutual aid goes, all 911 dispatches get a fire unit (which could be volley FRs, an ILS squad, an ALS engine or anything in between). Internal policy then dictates the closest available unit regardless of provider level gets dispatched along with the closest ALS.

It works pretty well. We have a strong relationship with most of the fire departments out here, the ALS agencies especially are all really dialed and professional
 

Jim37F

Forum Deputy Chief
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For us (BLS) we usually have 2 full EMT-Bs, One provisional (under 18 with an EMT license) and one non EMT (either in classes or hasn't started class yet). What about you?

So if you regularly have 4 guys on a rig do your ambulances have a 4 door cab with a backseat? Or do 2 of you have to ride all day in the back?
 

Tigger

Dodges Pucks
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Huh. Clearly I don't make it downtown nearly often enough. I have to figure that working on a (mostly) non transporting ambulance is a pretty cushy job.

I'd imagine. They're located in the two busiest areas of the city but their districts still have engine company coverage so they're not taking every call either. One of the crew is an officer too, gotta think being an EMT lieutenant on that would be pretty cake.
 

achtoman

Forum Ride Along
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In our service we run with 3 on every call.

1 crew chief which has to be either AEMT or Paramedic
1 second emt which can be a EMT-basic or above
1 driver which can be driver only or also could be EMT basic and above

Crew chief and second are always in back with patient and this way we always have a driver and it frees up another person to provide care to patient. Seems to work for us.
 

dixie_flatline

Forum Captain
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Suburban fire-based EMS. We staff mostly ALS units, which are an EMT-B and a Paramedic (sometimes CRT/I99). We've started running BLS units after having good results with a pilot program, which are 2 Basics.

On the paid side, never more than 3 in the box. For the most part, the volunteer side doesn't either, but if a call comes out for CPR in progress sometimes 4 will go on the Ambo and cancel the engine.
 

Medic Tim

Forum Deputy Chief
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I am usually working out of a clinic( industrial oil field) with other medics and or nurses. If we get a call an ALS and BLS medic respond from the clinic. Of I am on a truck I am by myself and running intercept for first responders or BLS medics. I go to all calls while the closest BLS unit will go. They are not in ambulances so they either wait for me or cancel me and transport to the clinic or hospital .

Long story short sometimes just me sometimes I have a partner/driver. It depends which site I am at and how far out in the "bush" we are.
 
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rlcpr

Forum Probie
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ALS units roll with one paramedic/EMT-C (I'm from Rhode Island) and one EMT-B. BLS trucks are 2 EMT-B's or one EMT and a driver.

Trauma/MVA/CPR will get the first responders from the fire department.
 

Handsome Robb

Youngin'
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We only run ALS units, no BLS.

Minimum staffing is 1 paramedic and one EMT-I/AEMT. Double medic cars happen but lately we're so strapped for medics they get split all the time. Per county contract BLS providers are not allowed to work on an ambulance.

We respond with fire. Every engine has at least 3, one city runs 4. Both cities run at least one EMT-I/AEMT then the rest are at least basics then the county department is at least one medic and two basics but usually the operator and or captain are both medics as well.
 

NPO

Forum Deputy Chief
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BLS: 2 EMT-B
ALS: 1EMT-B, 1 PARAMEDIC or 2 PARAMEDICS
CCT Minimum: 2 EMTs 1 CCT Nurse or RT

CCT can substitute a emt for a paramedic, and add an RT to the RN. MDs regularly ride too, and we may pick up specialists as well (perfusionists, etc).
 
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RookieRescue

Forum Ride Along
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BLS: 2 EMT-B
ALS: 1EMT-B, 1 PARAMEDIC or 2 PARAMEDICS
CCT Minimum: 2 EMTs 1 CCT Nurse or RT

CCT can substitute a paramedic for an EMT, and add an RT to the RN. MDs regularly ride too, and we may pick up specialists as well (perfusionists, etc).

who do you work for?
 

RebelAngel

White Cloud
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Last night, on my first ride along, we had the driver, the EMT, and me observing. We're all volunteer.
 
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