- How many EMS units do you have?
- The fire department has eleven (11) advanced life support ambulances. Five are fully staffed for 911 emergency calls, three (3) are staffed during business hours for transfer calls. Two (2) are ready reserve ambulances fully stocked with the capability to be placed in service with a one minute notice. One ambulance is maintained in a reserve status. All ambulances are staffed with one EMT and one paramedic. LFR also staffs 14 paramedic engine companies plus 4 truck companies
full time. Each engine and truck is staffed with EMT's trained to
provide emergency medical care. All LFR units are equipped with
Automatic External Defibrillators (AED's). Fire engines are
staffed with at least one paramedic. All engines carry a full
compliment of advanced life support (ALS) drugs and equipment.
- Who provides medical control?
- Medical control is provided by a physician Medical Director hired by EMS, Inc. EMS, Inc. is the independent authority established to provide medical direction and oversight for the pre-hospital system.
- How is medical control exercised?
- The medical director exercises medical control by establishing protocols for use by the
city's out-of-hospital care providers. On-line medical control is
exercised through direct radio contact by the paramedic in the field
to the physician on duty in the emergency room in the hospital to
which the patient will be transported.
- How are paramedic engine companies organized?
- Each paramedic engine company is staffed with four individuals.
A company officer (a captain) is in charge of three technicians:
- A Fire Apparatus Operator (driver/engineer)
- A duel role/cross trained Firefighter/Paramedic
- Firefighter
- Why are paramedic engines becoming the standard of care in
communities across the United States?
- Providing a paramedic on an engine company dramatically shortens
the time that advanced life support measures can be brought to the
patients side. If the brain cells do not receive a supply of oxygen
enriched blood for a period of 4 to 6 minutes, irreversible damage
will occur. Lincoln's paramedic engines have an average response
time of 3.2 minutes. The sooner the paramedic gets to the patient's
side with his/her advanced skills and equipment, the better the
chances are for a favorable outcome for the patient. In addition to
rapid defibrillation, the paramedic can provide advanced airway
control (intubation) and the administration of cardiac drugs and/or
external cardiac pacing to restore the heart's pumping to profuse the
brain and other vital organs.
- How much training do paramedics receive?
- The paramedic training course is nearly a year long from start to
finish and includes classroom, clinical and in-field training. The
training is conducted following US Department of Transportation
guidelines and is taught by several State authorized training agencies
in Nebraska. Fire department paramedics must pass a written and
practical National Registry examination as well as examinations from
the individual training agency. LFR medics are additionally required
to pass Nationally Accredited courses in Pediatric Advanced Life
Support (PALS) and in Pre-hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS). A
90 day intern period working with another paramedic and a field
training officer as well as a paramedic preceptor are also required.
A final intern written and practical exam is also required before
paramedics credentials are presented to the City's medical director
requesting his authorization for them to practice as a Lincoln
paramedic.
- Why does a fire engine and an ambulance respond when someone calls 911?
- Because there are more fire engines available within Lincoln than
there are ambulances and because the fire stations are more strategically
located throughout the city, fire engines with paramedics onboard can
generally reach patients more quickly than ambulances. The medical
crews from the fire department paramedic engine company can quickly
assess the patient, begin care and often have the patient ready for
transportation when the ambulance arrives.
- How many emergency ambulances does the department have?
- There are five (5) ambulances staffed 24 hours a day every day with one emergency medical technician and one firefighter paramedic. In addition there are 2 ready reserve ambulances and one reserve. These units are un-staffed, but may be brought on line in less than a minute with personnel from the fire station where they are kept. The emergency ambulances backup the transfer ambulances for urgent after hour transfers and when the system may need additional transfer capability.
- How many transfer ambulances does the department have?
- There are three (3) ambulances staffed daily to provide routine and urgent transfers. In addition, these transfer ambulances may be used as backup to the emergency units, in the event they are needed.
|
Fire & Rescue Department
EMS