Fire House Facts
Date:
01/13/2010 (Last updated: 01/14/2010)Summary:
Sunday January 3, 2010 through Saturday January 9, 2010Contact:
The Yuma Fire Department responded to 228 emergency calls for services
- 3 Commercial Assignments
Including: A possible vehicle fire next to a gas pump, and various alarms - 1 Mutual Aid Request
Including: 1 response to back fill a Somerton station - 14 Motor Vehicle Crashes
Including: 1 involving a head-on impact, and 1 involving a pedestrian. - 193 Other Medical Emergencies (serious to minor)
Including: 38 for difficulty breathing, 25 for chest pain, 23 fall victims, 19 unconscious people (including one person in cardiac arrest saved by bystander CPR and use of an Automated External Defibrillator) , 7 seizure cases, 2 diabetic emergencies, 5 patients with mental problems, 1 allergic reaction, 1 possible overdose, a 4 year old with chemical burns to eyes, a 12 year old who swallowed a ring, and misc. other illnesses and injuries. - 17 Special Duty, Public Assistance, and Residential Assignments
Including: Smoke coming from a residence, 2 vehicle fires, a burning item in the roadway, 2 reports of propane gas smells or leaks, 2 small brush fires, a trash can fire, , and various alarms.
What is the difference between a Fire Engine and a Rescue Truck?
You might say that one is a lot bigger, can seat more passengers, and carries water and hoses to extinguish large fires, but if it involves an emergency medical response, there is not much difference. All of our units are Advanced Life Support (ALS) units. This means they each will have at least one paramedic on board, and both would have the same advanced life support equipment and drug administration capabilities. In fact, the biggest difference is that the Rescue Truck is also designed to be able to transport patients.
Paramedics receive advanced medical training to become certified, and continuous training and evaluation to maintain their certifications. This is necessary for Paramedics to be the eyes, ears, and hands of the emergency room doctor. Equipment advances (like 12 lead heart monitoring), and new procedures (such as the Tox-medic for dealing with Hazardous Material and chemical or biological weapon releases) continue to be added our paramedic’s capabilities.
We often are asked why a Fire Engine is sent on an emergency medical call. Emergency medical calls make up the majority of calls for service modern fire departments respond to. To make the best use of resources, equipment and personnel need to be able to do double duty. In addition, many procedures leading up to the transport of a patient may also be best handled with the extra personnel assigned to an engine company. Critical care tasking for cardiac arrest cases can take additional emergency medical personnel, and YFD’s lifesaving record in this area is one of the best in the state.
A Rescue Truck and a Fire Engine or Ladder Truck may also be dispatched because time is essential in these situations. Units may be coming from different geographical locations, and both may be sent to ensure timely service delivery. The goal of the Yuma Fire Department is to get advanced life support to city residents in five minutes or less, at least 90% of the time.
For More Information
For more information about fire safety and injury prevention, contact the Yuma Fire Department Public Information Office at 373-4855
Follow the Yuma Fire Department on Twitter
Follow the Yuma Fire Department on Twitter. The address is www.twitter.com/YumaFireDept. (This link will take you to an external website that is not part of the City of Yuma official website.)
The City of Yuma Fire Department is dedicated to providing the best in quality service to the City of Yuma.
