Engines,Tankers and Ladders on Medical calls, oh my.

I can see why FDs may want to, or have to, run medicals.What I wonder is why they would place apparatus and personnel at risk,wear and tear on apparatus and waste lots of fuel.
Can I have some Firefighters thoughts on this subject?
Thanks.

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Comment by Glen Garland on January 25, 2009 at 8:33pm: Chief, with all due respect I would disagree and simply say the closest appropriate 1st responders should be responding. I have seen way too many paramedic trucks sent on taxi cab calls because dispatchers aren't given or refuse to take the training allowing them to differenciate between the calls. Last night I heard an ambulance (2 medics) and an engine (2FF/P and an officer) being sent out for a woman with a stomach ache for the last 2 days. The beauty of is the #'s stay high, morale stays low and the trucks take way more of a beating then they should. Just MHO...we welcome yours.

Comment by Firefighter Nation WebChief on January 25, 2009 at 7:33pm: The closest first responders should always respond to a medical emergency ... apparatus or otherwise. Jay, they should only walk if they guarantee a response time of less than 5 minutes, so would need to be a brisk jog :)

Comment by Jay Nicholson on January 25, 2009 at 6:51pm: What would you have them do. Walk to the scene.

Comment by FETC on January 25, 2009 at 5:47pm: Are you really serious about the question? Most places that run this type of set-up are running a (2) person ambulance crew that needs additional manpower assistance on serious calls or the ambulance service is so short staffed, (not enough buses) that the service uses the first responder engine or ladder to meet the national standards for response times, while they repeatedly run out of the hospital.

Last time I checked even a disco patch can't transport a cardiac arrest patient to the hospital alone... regardless of the shiny white beam of light that is lighting the meat wagons way.

Comment by Timothy Overly on January 25, 2009 at 5:16pm: My dept runs First Response BLS using 1 Engine (3FF) on Northside, 1 Engine (3FF)on the Southside and our Aerial Unit (3FFs on 100ft Ladder Tower) covers the city center. We used to have a light rescue(2 FF crew) that was 1st due for all EMS calls, but that was removed from service due to budgetary reasons. The city's answer is to use the currently manned frontline apparatus to handle EMS calls. We run approx 2800+ EMS calls annually. I'd personally have the rescue on duty, but the city refuses to man it.
My Engine in a 1994 with over 90,000 miles and no plans for replacement anytime soon. Gonna run it until it dies, I guess.