New Ambulance Coming Soon For Eastern Side Of County

News out of the County this afternoon that a new ambulance will soon be in service for residents of the Eastern side of county for Station 6 on Riverside Pkwy. Here’s the word from the county in the press release:

****DOUGLAS COUNTY ADDS AMBULANCE EQUIPMENT AND CREW AT FIRE STATION NO. 6****

The 2016 Douglas County budget included the addition of a 7^th ambulance and crew to serve County residents, and that ambulance and crew are now in service out of Fire Station No. 6, Riverside Parkway.  The ambulance is staffed with a Paramedic and Emergency Medical Technician at all times. 

Engine 6 at Fire Station No. 6 was previously outfitted with Advanced Life Support (ALS) equipment, making it functional as a first-responding medical unit, but the ALS equipment has now been transferred to the ambulance/rescue unit.  Engine 6 had three personnel assigned to it, one of which will now transfer to the ambulance to be joined by an additional staff person.

A new ambulance/rescue unit has been ordered and should arrive and be in service in late February.  At the present time, a reserve/backup unit is being used, which will return to reserve status when the new vehicle arrives.  The Fire/EMS Department is in the hiring process for the three new personnel who will serve on the three 24-hour shifts on the ambulance, known as Rescue 6.  At present, the ambulance is being staffed with qualified part-time and overtime staff. 

Douglas County Chairman Tom Worthan requested the establishment of the 7^th ambulance and crew in the 2016 budget to reduce and relieve the strain on the other ambulance/rescue units in the Douglas County Fire/EMS Department, and to meet the growing needs of County residents.   The addition of this equipment and crew has rescue units at 7 of the 10 Douglas County Fire Stations, and the remaining 3 all have ALS units on other equipment.  Douglas County Fire/EMS also has mutual aid agreements with surrounding counties for back-up, as well as with private ambulance companies when there is an unusually high demand for units. 

Thanks as always to Wes Tallon for the info.