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Copyright 2010 The Somerville News and Prospect Hill Publishing, Inc. The Somerville News is the only locally owned and operated community newspaper in Somerville.
The Somerville Fire Department took delivery of the new heavy rescue unit on Thursday January 20th. The members who are assigned to Rescue 1 will have training on the new apparatus and tools over the next few weeks. They will also be busy setting up where each piece of equipment will stored on Rescue 1. Rescue 1 will not go into full service until sometime during the month of February.
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Thats a nice looking vehicle.
Just curious as to where it will be housed?
The Somerville Fire Department should also get an ambulance. Cambridge and Winchester both have an ambulance. At least a non transporting EMS first responder car. We could stop paying so much money for Cataldo ambulance service and handle our own ALS and transport. We could always use private services as a backup. Our firemen are all registered EMT”s and 2 are advanced level paramedics. Emt’s are trained in the use of a cardiac defibrillator,CPR,reading vital signs and MANY more life saving,rescue, and first aid techniques. They can give epi pens,nitroglycerin,aspirin and a few other medication. Our engines,ladders, and rescues don’t carry any of that. it could save a cardiac or other patients life. If the Somerville fire department is responding to EMS call, we should have more of a variety of first aid gear. And Jey R, i think it is housed at the central Brickley Fire Station. Ben
When I said they don’t carry any of that, I meant medication. They are very well equipped in cardiac,trauma and other injuries and sickness. They had 2 first aid bags that probably include splints,bandages,a stethoscope and Blood Pressure cuff, burn dressings, alcohol wipes,shears, tweezers and probably much more. A backboard and a defibrillator were other separate pieces of equipment. Sorry for any misunderstanding. Ben
Somerville Firefighters may have emergency medical training, but the Somerville Fire Department is not a registered emergency medical response service with the MA office of EMS (http://bit.ly/hG9zo9). This means that they are legally not allowed to offer care above the level of First Responder no matter what their training is. This is primarily because they have no medical direction. Perhaps moving into the EMS world would be an efficient idea, but SFD would first have to register with DPH. SFD should probably register with DPH as an EMT basic first response service anyway, as many other MA fire departments have, so that those who are already practicing as EMTs are no longer doing so illegally.