New Fire Department Based EMS Whitepaper Released

Fire departments are best equipped to deliver emergency medical services, according to a new whitepaper, Prehospital 911 Emergency Medical Response: The Role of the U.S. Fire Service in Delivery and Coordination.

Released at the IAFF Dominick F. Barbera EMS Conference in Houston, Texas, June 24-27, the 13-page report -- written and prepared by top EMS physicians -- outlines the time-critical role fire-based EMS provides and stresses the need to educate policymakers about the importance of fire-based EMS.

"The men and women of the IAFF are answering the calls for natural and man-made disasters, auto accidents, swift water and high angle rescues and hazardous materials and WMD incidents, but all of those calls combined do not equal the call volume in virtually every jurisdiction for medical emergencies," said IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger in his keynote to delegates. "EMS is literally 'under fire' in most major cities, and that's what we've worked hard to achieve: a multi-role, all hazards approach to emergency response."

The whitepaper is intended to help organizations as they continue efforts to educate local, state and federal officials about the role of fire-based EMS.

Prehospital 9-1-1 Response: The Role of the United States Fire Service in Delivery and Coordination is available via download, for printing for distribution to local, state and federal leaders. The accompanying DVD video "Fire-Based EMS: The Right Response" (Low Resolution Version) (Click here for Windows Media version - large file) is also available by request from the IAFF Technical Assistance Division at (202) 824-1578, or email Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell at lmoore@iaff.org.