Whenever a fire dept. EMT ambulance goes out on an emergency call, a fire truck goes too. What for? I read that 80% of fire truck trips are for medical emergencies, and only 20% for fires. What do the firefighters do on these medical trips? Stand around and watch? Isn't it a waste of time & money to send a fire truck along with the ambulance when someone has a medical emergency?
2006-12-07 16:55:52 · 8 answers · asked by daylightpirate 3 in Travel ➔ United States ➔ Los Angeles
most fire departments these days employ only paramedic firefighters...so everyone does anything. i think its more of a liability thing....like if they send the ambulance for someone having a heart attack and they can't get the dude out of the tub, they need the other people there and more equipment to help. If they didn't bring all this to begin with then they would have to call for backup and waste more time. i think they just hang around cause its more interesting than back at the station, however sometimes you do see the fire engine leave soon after getting there.
2006-12-07 17:00:13 · answer #1 · answered by anonymous 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Safety in numbers.
You see, paramedics aren't really... respected so to say. if a guy has a heart attack then the wife may be yelling at the paramedics to do something, and quite frankly, she's just getting in the way and her husband will die because of her. THe paramedics have limited numbers and it's better to have a fireman on hand to help with crowd control (minor).
Also, if there's a situation where a car is electrified from a knocked down pole, it's better to have the firemen handle the situation and help form a perimeter.
If police are needed for crowd control (like paramedics are called to a fire), then it's easier to find a firetruck than an ambulance. Yea, that sounds dumb, but when it's nighttime and there's tons of people in the way, you may get distracted.
There's some firemen who are also trained as EMT, so they may be needed for a situatoin invovling mulitple people or a complex case.
SOmetimes the equipment on the firetruck is needed, like... axes, or if there's a hazardous environment (like gas leak), the truck will have air circulators.
So really... it's jsut a precautionary measure. If an ambulance is needed, there's a chance that the paramedics may need help, tools, or protection.
2006-12-07 20:45:21 · answer #2 · answered by antsam999 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Fire trucks are dispatched on medical calls because they are usually closer than the ambulance, thus providing preliminary care until the patient can be transported or receive a higher degree of medical attention by the Paramedics.
Most fire trucks do have EMT's or first responders on them, with a few having Paramedics.
2006-12-07 17:08:00 · answer #3 · answered by John K 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I used to work for a Battalion Chief, and "alea" is spot on. Fire trucks don't always go out with the Paramedics, it just depends on the call. It may seem like a waste of money, but imaging the lawsuits if the Paramedics have to wait for the fire trucks to show up for something.
He would joke that paramedics didn't like to get their hands dirty.
2006-12-08 07:14:54 · answer #4 · answered by chieromancer 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
EMT ambulances have a mysterious electrical problem that has never been completely understood. Therefore, there is a small but ever so very real possibility that one of them may suddenly burst into flame, and although it has never happened yet, the danger is so great that the powers that be, in their wisdom, have decreed that .... Wait a minute. Where am I?
2006-12-07 17:07:04 · answer #5 · answered by James L 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
yeah its weird...i dont know why. but my sophmore year of high school which was 5 years ago. i dislocated my knee playing volleyball ont he last day of PE! (i hate volleyball and hate it even more now!lol) but they called an ambulance.for me, and a fire truck came with them too, dont know why. fire men didnt do a nythign beside help lift the stretcher intot he ambulance, i think it is pretty much useless for a firetruck to accompany and EMT vehicle....lol.....bad experience...knee still give me problems to this day...
2006-12-07 17:05:17 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
good point i don't now i guess safety in numbers, may be and maybe supplies are on different trucks , and firemen are not doctors so it would depend on the problem.
2006-12-07 17:11:31 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes a waste of money. yes they are always there. so are police.
2006-12-07 18:04:43 · answer #8 · answered by M 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋