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What are fire fighters involved in?
I am a student at Brennan High School looking for more information on #fire-fighting #fire-fighter #public-services . I have seen fire fighters in ambulances, taking care of fire, going into car accidents, etc... and I was wondering if they take care of all of these or there’s just different types of fire fighters?
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David’s Answer
David, some cities are different than others. The fire department has always been known for the jack of all trades. They cut water off, unlock cars, help people get back into bed. Lots of cities, even int the state of Texas, started out as private ambulance operated. But eventually went to a fire department ambulance.
The answer to your question is yes. Not every fire department paramedic is cross trained. Like, Chicago, New York and Los Angels, are usually not., even though the ambulance says fire dept. And not every firefighter is a paramedic. But almost every firefighter is a basic EMT. The driver of a fire engine is usually not a paramedic though he probably was before and some still keep their certification. A battalion chief and deputy chief do not do any fire fighting, but they did a lot of it, before they became chief.
Cities likes San Antonio and Dallas, do it all. Cities like Waco, and Austin, do not. They have a third city emergency medical service. Now a days, in any city, if the paramedic needs help, the fire engine personnel go with him, or her to the hospital. And lots of cities in the U.S., there is a paramedic on both the fire engine and the ambulance. Private or fire department.
Listen to the scanner. Http://Broadcastify.com/. Go to Bexar county and click on San Antonio Fire. It should be on there. That will give you a good idea of what actually goes on. And who goes to what types of incidents. Be patient , you are not going to figure it out all in one day.
Start studying the same books that they use in fire academies. As well as basic EMT and Paramedic, I did this when I was still n high school. And I was a paramedic at the age 19.
The answer to your question is yes. Not every fire department paramedic is cross trained. Like, Chicago, New York and Los Angels, are usually not., even though the ambulance says fire dept. And not every firefighter is a paramedic. But almost every firefighter is a basic EMT. The driver of a fire engine is usually not a paramedic though he probably was before and some still keep their certification. A battalion chief and deputy chief do not do any fire fighting, but they did a lot of it, before they became chief.
Cities likes San Antonio and Dallas, do it all. Cities like Waco, and Austin, do not. They have a third city emergency medical service. Now a days, in any city, if the paramedic needs help, the fire engine personnel go with him, or her to the hospital. And lots of cities in the U.S., there is a paramedic on both the fire engine and the ambulance. Private or fire department.
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Eric’s Answer
Being that I am in Ohio, I can only speak for Ohio Departments. With Cleveland, Fire and EMS are separate entities. However, cities like Columbus and Cincinnati have both under the fire dept. With the larger city fire departments, the duties can be delegated easier. With my department, i can be the paramedic on one call, the engineer on the next call, and simply helping someone up who fell on the next call. While not all firefighters are cross trained, with some of the smaller departments, they tend to be cross trained as firefighters and paramedics. Most all are at least an EMT-Basic, the level just above the certification of First Responder. Some cities use private ambulances to supplement their operations, such as Akron does. Members on smaller departments are expected to handle almost any type of call they get. Structure fires, auto accidents, EMS calls, as well as calls that might fall under the "jack of all trades" label. Firefighters get called for almost everything. Firefighters and EMTs are always training on the current and latest equipment and technology as part of the daily routine to keep their skills up to date. Public relations are also a big aspect of the job. People visit the fire station to see the trucks and equipment, participate in parades and other public related activities.
Visit your local fire department and talk to the firefighters. That is an excellent source of information. Everyone has different experiences
Eric recommends the following next steps:
Updated
Eric’s Answer
Being that I am in Ohio, I can only speak for Ohio Departments. With Cleveland, Fire and EMS are separate entities. However, cities like Columbus and Cincinnati have both under the fire dept. With the larger city fire departments, the duties can be delegated easier. With my department, i can be the paramedic on one call, the engineer on the next call, and simply helping someone up who fell on the next call. While not all firefighters are cross trained, with some of the smaller departments, they are cross trained as firefighters and paramedics. Most all are at least an EMT-Basic, the level just above the certification of First Responder. Some cities use private ambulances to supplement their operations, such as Akron does. Members on smaller departments are expected to handle almost any type of call they get. Structure fires, auto accidents, EMS calls, as well as calls that might fall under the "jack of all trades" label. Firefighters get called for almost everything.
Visit your local fire department and talk to the firefighters. That is an excellent source of information. Everyone has different experiences
Eric recommends the following next steps: