Anybody know? why is it everytime a emt is called to a home.....a firetruck FOLLLOWS?
 

why is it everytime a emt is called to a home.....a firetruck FOLLLOWS???? i can see that at a car accident (gas problems)..but why a home call??
never seen that done anywhere else...sometimes they don't even get out of their truck....seems like a waste of gas and time....anybody know???? a neighbor of mine had a small heart attack...and THERE was the firetruck also ????

As I understand it each vehicle in a station carries an EMT and the necessary equipment that would be found in the EMT vehicle. This assures that a qualified EMT is on site and reduces the response times if the emergency EMT vehicle is on another call. They don't have to wait or have a response from an area farther away. Outside the dome there is a more specialized approach, EMT for health, fire trucks for fire and hazards. That's my understanding and I'm sure there are those here that have more knowledge.

Most of the time the fire truck arrives first. They are also trained Para-Medics. They supply the medical attention until the ambulance gets there. Recently a friend was saved the the firemen and it took the ambulance 20 minutes to arrive. Lighten up, you may need them one day.

It's not only here that happens. South Florida, too.

We have been in Florida for awhile (Miami, Tampa and now The Villages) and asked the same question when first noticed it. It makes sense now that I realize EMT/PM are on the firetrucks as well.

state policy, they do it in Jax too

Another simple reason for the addition of the firetruck is for additional help. The ambulance usually has 2 employees on board. At least one of them is a paramedic. There are numerous senerios where you need more than just 2 people---lifting help, restraining help if the patient is unruly or thrashing, You either need to protect the patient from themselves, or protect you from them. It isn't a problem here in Florida, but there are times you have to carry a patient down 3 or 4 flights, and of course, those are the patients who weigh 300 pounds. I could go on and on with reasons "why". The ambulances responded with just 2 people for years, and while they did their best, it is so much better to have additional help in case of CPR, starting IV's, making sure the family does not try to follow the ambulance, and think they can run the same red lights, etc., etc., etc.

I do not understand your negative question about excellent EMS sevice provided by the villages.

Wherevelse do you see such quality response. I know if I needed an EMS response I would want want all hans on deck rather than a second alarm for additional assistance.

Awww, c'mon...Lighten up on the OP. This is not the norm in most states. I've been in Florida 26 years, and it is the norm down here, but I remember questioning it the first time they ALL arrived at my house. Not everyone is being negative ...they are valid questions...try to see it as curiosity.

It is the norm in Montgomery Co Maryland and has been for over 10 years.

It's the norm at our up north home as well. We get an emt truck and a fire engine. Two per truck. At times you not only have the patient to care for, but a family member as well. Nothing worse than two emt guys doing CPR while spouse is melting down

good point....there are apparently varied reasons why this happens. For a newcomer tho, it can seem redundant. Trust me...I'd like to have a whole street full of help if we ever had an issue here...:smiley:

As I understand the argument, each emergency medical call needs 4 people as apparently the two on the ambulance are not deemed sufficient. If that is the case, why not then put 4 EMTs on the ambulance and keep the fire truck in its centralized location? Perhaps the argument is that the firefighters spend so little time actually in fire action, that this is a way to utilize that manpower. It certainly makes sense to have more than two persons available at the scene. For those who know, does the fire truck leave once the EMTs determine that all is under control or does the truck remain for the entire duration of the run? I'm sure it comes down to money and utilizing manpower balancing community safety.

It was like that in Connecticut, as well. Usually, the fire truck showed up first. Probably because they were closest. Sometimes a police cruiser showed up as well. I guess it just depends on who is available first.

Its also normal in Michigan and has been for ears

Fire Truck
 

There are many reasons for a dual response,ambulance delay,forcible entry required,lift assist required,multiple patients discovered on arrival,gas leak where breathing apparatus is required ect.We responded in this manner in Ct. for the 30 years I was a first responder.

Same in NC. I think we just may notice it more ie: the presence of fire trucks and ambulances, because we do in fact live in an older population of people.

First off, the scenario OP outlines is not unique to TV, or Fla. for that matter, as many others have stated already. It also has little to do with funding or manpower, but more to do with availability of required resources to respond. It also might depend on the nature of the initial 911 call (heart attack, stroke, fall from ladder, non-responsive, etc.) and the protocol employed by that dispatch center.

It also happens that Emergency Services, particularly EMS, is primarily structured at the state and local level across the country, so you have plenty of variety in how things are not only done, but organized. A good example is the designation and location of a "Para-Medic" (versus an EMT) - In NJ, by statute, a Para-Medic can only be attached to a Hospital and dispatched with an ALS (Adv. Life Support) unit such as a Mobile ICU (Suburban or other big SUV). Fire Depts and Rescue Squads, paid or volunteer, can only be staffed by an EMT. Whereas, in Fla., many (maybe most) Fire Depts have Para-Medics on staff who are on nearly every engine/truck. Big difference on how quick that level of care might get to a call, based on who they arrive with.

Anyway, as many others have said.....wouldn't be too concerned about how many vehicles arrive, or who gets there first....so long as they get there quick!! Cheers!! :)

Same in Ontario, Canada.
If you need help in a hurry for a medical emergency, you are more than grateful to welcome any person that can help!

Fits the norm in the Atlanta Metro area too. Makes sense to me. Whoever gets there fírst can assist. Mostly there is not a lot of time between the two but those few minutes can save a life.

My brother in law works for a 911...in WA state. He says the fire truck is the First Responders with the ambulance being there if transport is needed. It's as everyone states here in this thread. Thinking it must be the same all over.

Seems the question has been answered quite well by many in this thread. I might add that our Villages response procedures are also the norm in Ohio and South Carolina. My son in law is a trained E M T and often is assigned to an engine company and responds to any and all emergency calls if for nothing more than being a highly trained medic on hand for manpower.

In Chicago whenever there a heart related or possible stroke an additional truck or engine responds with the ambulance. The main reason for this is if CPR has be administered the additional manpower can help. The truck or engine will follow to the hospital. This may have changed in last five years since I left but I don't think so.

You asked this same question in April 2014. https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...trucks-111236/The answers given then are the same as now.

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It's a state policy in CA also. When I had the same question, I asked our fireman/neighbor and, after he explained the reason along with the fact that it is a state policy, it made sense. Just think of how many lives have been saved!

Our next door neighbor needed help and it took only 3.5 minutes to arrive..amazing!

This is a great opportunity to thank our first responders and all of those who watch after us, including law enforcement.

We villagers see you a lot, but you're busy. Thank you ladies and gentleman and sending blessings for health and kind wishes at this time of the year and always.

If you ever have a heart attack (God forbid) ... like I did .... and the trained folks that come rushing to save your life ... like they did for me ... I'd bet you would be VERY happy to see that big old truck rolling down your street to help!!

Great catch, I was thinking the same,,,

my Neighbors are all on TV Fire Dept. Besides all the reasons already given, they never know excatly what they will encounter once they get to the home, the person could be trapped under something or anything., thus you have the fire dept there incase anything happens, and they are the first responders. Highly trained personnel!!! Nice to have these cats around. :MOJE_whot::clap2::bigbow:

This is done in other cities as well. We're from Indianapolis and and it is protocol there as well.

Realizing that all states can be different, but where we are from, the paid and volunteer crews travel with at least 2 crew members, occ. 3. At least 1 is a paramedic and the other 2 would be EMT's. I have never seen a ambulance/EMS unit dispatched from a hospital, they have always been stationed either in the fire station, or in their own free standing EMS building. The only paramedics I have seen working in a hospital were there to assist the nurses in transporting monitored patients during transfer to a critical care area or step-down unit, and working in the telementry area. We also flew a nurse/paramedic team with the helicopter. To answer the question someone asked about what the fire trucks did after the call---as soon as the EMS unit marked enroute to the hospital with the patient, the firemen went back to the station to prepare for the next call.

in caroline the EMT arrives FIRST 10 minutes later the fire truck comes...just wondering why they need both...will ask others.... most places i have seen the emt arrives FIRST !!!!!

thanks !!