Why firetrucks respond

To the editor:

It is the policy of the Osceola County Fire Rescue to provide the highest standard of care to the sick and injured patients that live and visit Osceola County. Fire Rescue’s highest standard of care is being delivered to patients by providing the fastest response times possible.

These fast response times are accomplished by the closest firetruck and rescue unit being dispatched to the emergency call. Fire Rescue currently has 16 fire stations strategically placed throughout the county. Eleven of these fire stations have rescue units housed in them. As you can see from the numbers, a firetruck is most likely to be the first unit to arrive at the scene of the emergency.

All firefighters are certified either as an emergency medical technicians or paramedics. This means that when a firetruck arrives at the scene of a medical emergency, highly trained EMTs and paramedics begin advanced life support saving treatment before the arrival of the rescue unit. In many cases, there are other safety factors that can be present, such as carbon monoxide poisoning, which requires advanced metering to detect the hazards so they don’t further injure patients or harm first responders, including the rescue unit. In fact, all firetrucks are Advanced Life Support Units and are appropriately equipped to treat life-threatening emergencies ranging from cardiac arrest, asthma attacks, diabetic emergencies, allergic reactions, falls, child birth, etc.

In addition to being first on scene, it is also very important to have enough personnel available to appropriately treat critically-injured patients. Having the EMT and PM on the rescue unit is not enough to appropriately treat these critically-injured or ill patients.

What may appear to be a minor illness or injury to the untrained bystander calling 9-1-1 can turn out to be more serious. The serious condition requires the additional skills and staffing from firefighters assigned to a firetruck to properly treat the patient.

Many times, given the call volume of our department, simultaneous calls may be received, which means our rescue unit is committed to a medical emergency. In these situations, one of our fire apparatus can arrive more quickly to begin life-saving care until a rescue unit can arrive.

In conclusion, Osceola County Fire Rescue would like all residents to know that we strive to provide the highest standards of care possible. This can only be accomplished through a coordinated effort involving the response of both a firetruck and a rescue unit to all medical emergencies.

Adam Seithel
PresidentOsceola County Professional Firefighters Local 3284