I am pleased to announce a new emergency service that is being offered to the residents, businesses, and visitors of Sylvania Township and the City of Sylvania. Starting August 20, 2007, we began offering simultaneous dispatch of ambulance services to those who find themselves in need of being transported to a medical facility but are not in a life-endangering situation.
Under the past structure of EMS services, when a medical emergency call was received by our fire dispatchers, they would send out one of the fire department's first responders - a crew of at least 2 fire fighters including at least one paramedic - to respond immediately to the scene and provide medical care. If during the initial call to 911 the dispatcher believed the call was life threatening, the Lucas County Life Squad housed at Station 1 would be dispatched at the same time.
However, if the incident was not considered to be life threatening, our first responders would be sent alone. Once on the scene, they would assess the situation and determine if medical transport would be needed, at which time an ambulance would be called to provide basic life-support transportation to a medical facility of the patient's choice. By waiting until the first responders arrive and assess the situation, an additional 10-15 minutes could go by before the patient was headed to the hospital. Now, let me reiterate, this is in non-life threatening situations.
By working with the Lucas County EMS and private ambulance companies, it is now standard operating procedure to dispatch an ambulance at the same time our first responders are sent out. This will reduce the wait before the patient can be transported to a medical facility; reduce the amount of time our first responders are out of service on a call; and increase community safety as it reduces the number of emergency vehicles operating with lights and sirens.
This enhanced emergency service is being provided to those in need in our community without making our taxpayers subsidize transport services for non-residents. If the ambulance is cancelled en route or if the patient declines transportation, the private ambulance companies will not bill for services not rendered. Finally, this will allow our firefighter/paramedics to concentrate on what they were trained to do - fight fires and provide emergency medical care, not drive an ambulance.
