The paramedics main function is rendering rudimentary first aid and transporting a patient to the nearest hospital. If there is a car wreck, for example, firefighters will have the equipment to get the patient out of the car. If the patient needs to be lifted into the ambulance, the one or two paramedics may not be able to lift the person up, especially if it is an obese person. Sending just the paramedics could result in the person dying.
A few years ago, somebody in my neighborhood had a tree fall on them. Good thing the fire department showed up as well as the firefighters with their crowbar were needed to help lift the tree off of the guy.
“The paramedics main function is rendering rudimentary first aid”
Really....rudimentary? The one phrase shows you are just talking out your ass. Probably a chest thumping fireman.
“The paramedics main function is rendering rudimentary first aid”
Really....rudimentary? The one phrase shows you are just talking out your ass. Probably a chest thumping fireman.
Paramedics offer far more than “rudimentary first aid.” You demean the entire profession with that remark.
In many cities, there are more fire stations than ambulance stations. Initial treatment is therefore done by a firefighter/paramedic on the engine. The patient is then turned over to the ambulance crew for transport. Paramedic care is far more than rudimentary: they administer medication and fluids, read cardiac monitors, administer electroshock, etc. Their care is coordinated by a local hospital base station by radio. The goal is to get the patient stabile prior to transporting. The days of firefighters just being EMTs are pretty much over. It’s hard to get hired as a firefighter without a paramedic card.
As you mentioned, the extrication gear on the engine can also come into play, as does the personnel. A full cardiac arrest with CPR in progress make require three or more medics, as does a situation where you’re hauling somebody down a flight of stairs.
So, chances are good the truck will get there before the ambulance, you may need the staffing, and if one of them gets in an accident, the other will still get to the patient.
“The paramedics main function is rendering rudimentary first aid and transporting a patient to the nearest hospital...”
In our community the paramedics are part of the fire department. They arrive with their EMT stuff and the fire truck arrives with them. And we don’t get billed for the service. (We do support it through our real estate taxes...and willingly!)