Fire and EMS

[LFD_FF17]

What are your thoughts about Fire Departments and EMS? Do you think they should all be one? Should the health regions handle EMS? Should the municipalities?

Personally I think it makes sense to have Fire and EMS all part of the fire department. I think this because to me it makes economical sense. I know in Edmonton there are many fire halls with an open bay that could easily have an Ambulance parked there, rather then having a fire hall with an empty bay and an empty bed, and a ambulance station with the same, like I mean doesn't it make more sense to have one building to power and heat rather then 2? They go to the same calls anyways. Now I know I am only speaking from my own perspective in Edmonton so I am interested on how it works where you are.

[ndvfd_ff33]

Yes In Edmonton this would work because you got the bodys to do this....In rural Nova Scotia where there is no full time Fire Dept's,we have EHS Nova Scotia which is the provincial ambulance service...Most Fire depts have members trained at MFR level or even some with Paramedics..Many fire dept's will respond to medicals only by request of paramedics or if the ambulance will be longer than 15 minutes to respond...My dept responds on everything in our paticular district...It all works very smooth....So..Personally I am for this system..But Its whatever works for your paticular area..

[FireEMTGuy]

In my opinion, this comming from an outsider, Edmonton Fire/EMS integration would not work. Too much tradition with Edmonton fire to become "integrated," not to mention the amount of training required to update current FF's. On the flip side, there are a lot of Paramedics who dietest the idea of doing the other half of things.

Integrated services work well with services that grew up with them and/or are located in smaller citites.

The most Edmonton is going to get is as it is right now with a few halls having a Ambulance parked in it along with a couple beds, a TV, and a small kitchen. Nothing close to integration, however it works well.

[LFD_FF17]

Just because the EMS is part of Fire doesn't mean in my opinion that paramedics have to become firefighters or firefighters have to become paramedics. They could just use the same stations and have the same cheif and paint jobs and patches and stuff.

[FireEMTGuy]

If you are not going to have Medics doing fire tasks and Firefighters doing EMS tasks then that is definately not what is called Integration.

Integration, in my opinion, is the ability of a Firefighter being able to perform any main task at an incident,whether it be extrication, suppression, rescue, and/or patient care and transport.

Sharing a hall is one thing, but there would be no point to share a cheif where the cheif is a Fire Cheif. Maybe I am thinking inside the box here and I welcome comments.

[BCFFFV]

I have heard horror stories of ambulance crews and fire crews sharing halls.....I think it would be a nightmare.

[EMRredneck]

I think it should be the only way to go....as long as the ems peoples want the fire time. I know where I am the halls rotate through so everyone gets a kick at both cans, so to speak. I believe Paramedics are exempt just because they are so hard to get up here. I personally can't speak as to if it works or not because I haven't been working in them....YET. It's what I am looking for though.

[FireEMTGuy]

I think in larger cities, like the kid says, Fire and EMS in the same hall, not integrated but manned in the same hall, would work well for both the public and the crews.

I know a few medics with edmonton EMS as well as a few FF's, while they don't have (or at least tell me of) any hard feelings against the other, they do share stories of a strong distaste between a lot of the older more traditional members on both sides. EMS is EMS and Fire is Fire, or so it is in their heads.\


Edmonton does have a few halls that are shared or combined, but everything is seperate. Seperate sleeping quarters, seperate washrooms, tv, etc.

Calgary is also like Edmonton in that Fire and EMS are run by the city, they share halls and unlike Edmonton, get along very well(in the large majority of cases, can't speak for all). Their sleeping quarters are somewhat seperate, but still on the same floor with no major segregation, same eating quarters and TV quarters. Works well and if the medics are around they sometimes will pitch in for lunch.

Edmonton has had some.... well.... unflattering incidents in regards to fire and EMS personell which has ruined a possibly good thing (as seen in Calgary) for future generations.

[FLASHOVER05]

I think in larger cities, like the kid says, Fire and EMS in the same hall, not integrated but manned in the same hall, would work well for both the public and the crews.
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Markham Fire And York EMS did a joint venture project and the latest firehall was grouped by both... It was a split building incorporating two separate garages aswell as separate living Quarters. This building is massive!!! Room for at least four trucks and at least six Ambulances... Althought Markham is not a very large community but is growing.... five halls and a sixth to open up end of the year... I think?

[LFD_FF17]

Edmonton did that with their latest station. Its like 2 completly different stations on the same lot. The bays are at opposite ends of the building and fire and ems have their own bunks and kitchens and washrooms and everything.