Why does a fire truck respond with an ambulance for a medical call?
Fire trucks respond for a number of reasons:
  • The St. Charles Fire Department staffs each fire apparatus with at least 1 paramedic and advanced life support equipment. Many times these fire apparatus are the closest units to the call.
  • The dispatch center in St. Charles County uses an Emergency Medical Dispatch protocol to assign calls. Depending on the severity assigned, a fire truck is sent because the medically trained crew can provide needed assistance to the 2 paramedics on the ambulance. No one truly knows how severe the call really is until they arrive on the scene. For your safety, we work from a premise that it’s better to be safe and send apparatus than sorry that we don’t have the man power on scene to take care of you.
  • Man power is another reason fire trucks respond. Many patients are in locations or are of such a size that 2 people cannot get the patient to the ambulance. The stretcher alone weighs 90 pounds. This is a concern for the safety of fire/rescue crews as well as the patient.
  • Having fire trucks respond to minor calls for help that do not require transport to a hospital allow ambulances to remain available for more severe calls that require transport.

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1. Where should I place a carbon monoxide alarm?
2. I have heard that children may not hear smoke detectors while they are sleeping. Is this true?
3. My son came home from school today and said that we should be sleeping with our doors shut because it could give us an extra 15 minutes to escape if there is a fire. Is this true?
4. Where can I get information about home fire sprinkler systems?
5. Why does a fire truck respond with an ambulance for a medical call?
6. Why do I, as a city resident, pay for medical transport?
7. How much does the fire department cost me in taxes each year?
8. What is the difference between a fire department and a fire district?
9. Is the St. Charles Fire Department a department or a district?
10. Why do firefighters perform fire prevention inspections of commercial occupancies?
11. What do firefighters do when they are not fighting a fire?
12. Will the fire department provide a fire safety or disaster preparedness presentation to my business?
13. Do firefighters rescue cats stuck in trees?
14. Which way should I move if an emergency vehicle is approaching?
15. Is a storm warning siren meant to be heard from inside my home?