January – February, 2012

Nature: Emergency Medical Assist Incidents

Address: Indian River’s Fire District

The Indian River Volunteer Fire Company has been summoned to provide assistance during many emergency medical incidents even thou we do not own, lease, nor operate any ambulance or ambulance type services.

During the period of January 1st, 2012 through February 26th, 2012, thirty-five (35%) percent of the emergency alert incidents for the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company have been to provide pre-hospital emergency medical services (EMS) or assistance to local residents within the fire district of Indian River due to availability of the first due ambulance service provider not being readily accessible.

Not being readily accessible could be interpreted to be already attending to another emergency incident within the fire district or not having the availability of adequate resources to provide the needed services within the immediate fire district before having to alert another local EMS provider or fire company for assistance.

Emergency medical services (EMS) are a type of emergency services dedicated to providing out-of-hospital acute medical care transport to definitive care, and other medical transport to patients with illnesses and injuries which prevent the patient from transporting themselves.

The use of the term emergency medical services may refer solely to the pre-hospital element of the care, or be part of an integrated system of care.

Emergency medical services may also be locally known as a first aid squad, emergency squad, rescue squad, ambulance, squad ambulance service, ambulance corps, or life squad.

The objective of most emergency medical services is to either provide treatment to those in need of urgent medical care, with the goal of satisfactorily treating the presenting conditions, or arranging for timely removal of the patient to the next point of definitive care. This is most likely an emergency department at a hospital.

The term emergency medical service evolved to reflect a change from a simple system of ambulances providing only transportation, to a system in which actual medical care is given on scene and during transport.

The types of emergency medical assistance notifications have included but not limited to: unconscious/fainting (near) – advanced life support (ALS); back pain (non-traumatic) – basic life support (BLS); cardiac / respiratory / death – ALS; stoke – ALS; unknown problem (man down) – BLS; fall – BLS; interfacility /palliative – ALS; overdose / poisoning – ALS; and sick person (specific diagnosis) – ALS to merely identify a few.

In order to assist acronym clarification, advance life support (ALS) means that the Sussex County Paramedics have been dispatched as well the local EMS provider or next due company, and basic life support (BLS) means that the Sussex County Paramedics have not been dispatched but only the local EMS provider or next due company.

The Indian River Volunteer Fire Company believes that these services are a critical part of our community and civic responsibility to help and assist our community residents and patrons during times of need.

The Indian River Volunteer Fire Company is ready, able and willing to provide or procure the services that our community residents desire during times of need.