Emergency Medical Services

This firefighter uses the jaws of life to open a hood of this car to disconnect the battery. Disconnecting the battery reduces the risk of injury that might occur during the vehicle operations.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is a huge part of the Bradley Fire Department. The Bradley Fire Department has two advanced life support (ALS) ambulances staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week with six full time paramedics. The department employs EMTs, paramedics, and field nurses. Paid on call EMS personnel respond to second ambulance calls and also assist with serious calls. The fire department averages 1500 EMS calls every year and the number increases with each year. The ambulance responds to a variety of calls from chest pains to car accidents along with offering care and blood pressure screenings to the individuals that stop by the station and at community events.

Each EMS provider on the Bradley Fire Department has been formally trained through college accredited courses. There are two levels of EMS personnel hired by the Bradley Fire Department. The first level is emergency medical technician basic (EMT-B). An EMT-B performs basic functions in the ambulance such as vital signs, bandaging, and assisting paramedics. This requires six months of classroom and practical training. The student then has to pass a state exam in order to function as an EMT. The next level recognized by the Bradley Fire Department is paramedic. A paramedic performs more advanced medical care such as IVs, intubations, heart monitors, and medication administration. To become a paramedic is an extensive process. The paramedic program takes four college semesters to complete. Two semesters are spent in classroom and the last two semesters are practicals in the hospital and on the ambulance. At the end of the program the student then takes a states exam to be able to perform as a paramedic. A field nurse is a registered nurse that has been trained to function as a paramedic. Many hours go into training every year for all EMS personnel, so they can be ready any call they might receive.

Two patients are treated after they crashed their motorcycle.	This patient's leg is being splinted after he was hit by a car on his bicycle.
Spinal immobilization is maintained to prevent further spinal cord injury to the child.	Some situations like car accidents and structure fires require additional hep from local resources.
While police assist, EMS personnel attach the patient to the backboard for transport.	EMS providers treat a patient involved in a snowmobile accident on January 11, 1997.
This patient was helped out of his overturned vehicle while firefighters watch to prevent rolling of the vehicle.	The fire department is called for many different reasons. For example when a car uses the front door of a business. Above occurred at Video Revue in 1998.
Car accidents can occur any time, anywhere.	Multiple injuries resulted from the head-on collision December 19, 1999.
Minor injuries resulted from this roll-over on E. North St.	Closer look at deisel exchange.
There are times when multiple high-ton tow trucks are required. In this example, three were needed to flip this semi right-side up.