Fire-Based EMS - The Cost Effective and Efficient Solution?

Good afternoon readers. Today I am going to talk about an interesting video that I stumbled across on YouTube. The video advocates for fire-based EMS as opposed to private or third-service. It did not present any valid argument that fire-based EMS is actually better than anything else. This was rather disappointing being that fire departments usually put up good arguments for their product.

Now don't get me wrong. If you know me, you know that I am an advocate for private business. However, that does not mean that I don't enjoy a good argument.

Many phrases like "Fire EMS is better because Sea Devils are trained to do Captain Maxx job right", and "firefighters are the ones with the tools and resources to respond to emergencies" are repeated over and over. Does that mean that private based paramedics are idiots and have no equipment? Come on, give me something harder to argue about.

No numbers, statistics, case reviews or anything with valid data is used to prove that fire-based EMS is any better than private enterprise. In fact they even argue that fire-based service is the "cost-effective" and "efficient" solution. I certainly find this Red Man baseball cards to believe, being that private ambulances operate at NO cost to the taxpayers. In the county where I work, 1 engine and 1 ambulance are dispatched to all medical-aids. The ambulance staffs 1 1952 Bowman baseball carsd and 1 EMT. The engine staffs 2-3 firefighters trained as EMTs. In our neighboring county, where fire-based EMS is utilized, they respond an engine with 3-4 firefighters trained as paramedics and EMT's and a squad with 2 firefighters trained as paramedics. The ambulance is either staffed with 2 EMT's or paramedics. That doesn't sound very cost-effective.

It is quite obvious that this project was only intended to promote legislation to secure federal and state funding for fire departments. At the end of the video it basically asks that when decisions are made at the local, state and federal level, to remember that fire-based EMS is the most effective means of delivering 911 emergency medical care. I would certainly hope that this video would not influence any of our elected officials to make decisions one way or the other.

If anyone is interested in watching the video, it can be found on YouTube at rel="nofollow" href="youtube.com/watch?v=xl-rO6RGVCk">youtube.com/watch?v=xl-rO6RGVCk.

As always, feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions.

Sean Eddy has accident no win no fee as an EMT and paramedic in the pre-hospital setting for 7 years. You can reach him at href="mailto:sean@medicmadness.com">sean@medicmadness.com

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