EMERGENCY!

I hope you are able to remember that NBC tv show from the '70's. It starred Randy Mantooth and Kevin Tighe as paramedics of Los Angeles County Fire Department station 51. In the show, they responded to medical and rescue calls in a squad truck. That truck was, candidly, a glorified utility truck that carried rescue equipment, ropes, and medical supplies and gear, but no water or ladders. When a patient needed transport to the hospital, he or she rode in a private ambulance. One paramedic rode in the back of the ambulance and the other drove the squad truck to the hospital to pick him up. Also, it is worth noting that the field paramedics were in radio contact with the hospital and administered medicine according to the doctor's orders as given over the radio.
LA County was a pioneer the area of field emergency medical care. While this was a start, it had many short comings. First, using a private ambulance firm leaves a lot up to chance. Is the closest one available? Did the driver bring his "A" game that day? There is always that possibility for billing mistakes (as I clear my throat) to the governmental agency. If weather caused the loss of radio communications, then the medical doctor was not able to oversee the field care. Putting a paramedic out of service just to go pick up his partner is not efficient either.
Well, that was the '70's and let's fast forward to today. ESD 47 and its service provider Westlake VFD have taken this tv show's premise and bumped it up several notches. The Westlake ambulances carry two EMT's each and the paramedic has a separate vehicle. This way, when the patient is stable enough for transport or maybe when no transport is needed, the paramedic can go back in service and is available for the next dispatch. Also, all of these persons are highly trained, accredited (allowing them to make field decisions), and held to the highest standards. It is likely that the private ambulance driver in Emergency! was not.
Also, in the tv show, male actors were seen in most of the roles. It wasn't until you got to the hospital that you ran into RN Dixie McCall. Today, there is no position or job in the fire service that is gender exclusive. By their own choice, females gravitate to EMS positions and it really gives some unexpected benefits. For example, a women's voice can be soothing and reassuring to a young child that needs attention or, occasionally, a female patient may be more comfortable being evaluated by a female EMT, but let me hasten to point out that ALL Westlake members have ethical practices that are off the charts.
Clearly, the organization structure of fire suppression and emergency medical providers of today, including our very own Westlake VFD, has come a long way and is a big improvement over 50 years ago. Next month, I will continue with part 2 of this blog and introduce you to our latest addition to the ESD 47/ Westlake family. You won't want to miss that!
Until then, stay safe.
Brian Havran