By Captain Josh Ambrose
Emergency Medical Technician
Many residents wonder: “How come when I call for an ambulance, the fire department shows up?”
This is a common question that we get from the residents of Liverpool and Salina when the Liverpool Fire Department comes to your house for a medical emergency. The process all starts when you pick up the phone to dial 911. Your call is routed to the Onondaga County 911 Center in Onondaga Hill, where call takers will answer your call for help. It is very important that you answer all the questions that the call taker is asking you because it will help them decide on who needs to be sent to your emergency. Once your call is complete, depending on the nature of your medical emergency, the Liverpool Fire Department may be activated to come to your house along with the ambulance.
The Liverpool Fire Department is currently a New York State Certified Basic Life Support (BLS) Agency. That means that we carry a vast amount of emergency medical equipment that can provide life saving measures. The Liverpool Fire Department currently has about 15 emergency medical technicians (EMTs) who are all certified by New York State Department of Health and routinely undergo continuing education to stay on top of their skills. Our department has three rescues (one out of each of our three stations) plus a Fly car, which is manned by our volunteers.
We carry many different types of medical equipment to help assist in any medical emergency. We carry oxygen for those who are having difficulty breathing, Narcan (aka naloxone) to treat victims suffering from an opioid overdose, medications to help those who are having an asthma attack, instant glucose to treat those suffering from low blood sugar and aspirin, which we give to those who are suffering from chest pains. We also carry multiple variations of bandages, cling, tape, etc. to treat those who have cuts or lacerations or other trauma.
One of the unique items that we carry as a first response agency is the LUCAS 2 CPR device. We have four of these lifesaving devices in the department. Since we have implemented the use of these devices in patients suffering from cardiac arrest, we have seen great improvements in pre-hospital CPR statistics.
These devices allow for continuous uninterrupted CPR, which could increase the survival rate of a patient who is suffering cardiac arrest. This device helps take the place of what would be a person doing CPR or multiple people switching out doing CPR. It also allows of those responders to perform other tasks during the call. The LUCAS Device fits in a bag no bigger than a school-size book bag and is completely run by battery power. Since the implementation of the LUCAS Device in Liverpool in 2015, they have been used on over 100 cardiac arrest calls.
Lastly, the reason why we respond as the fire department to medical emergencies is to help be the first line of medical care for those suffering medical emergencies until the ambulance arrives. Our members provide top notch, top-of-the-line, compassionate care to those who call upon the fire department for service. We will provide the most basic of needs to a patient until the ambulance arrives to take them to the hospital of their choice.
We encourage all of our residents, if they are suffering from any type of medical emergency or fire emergency, to dial 911 as soon as possible. Please don’t call the seven-digit firehouse number, as our stations are not always staffed with volunteers.
The Liverpool Fire Department is 100% volunteer and provides service to the village of Liverpool and parts of the town of Salina. The department responds to approximately 1,700 calls for help annually including EMS, fire, vehicle accidents and water rescues. To become a member, visit liverpoolfire.com or call (315) 457-6347.
