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Emergency Medical Response

If you’re having an emergency, call 911.

 

An increased need for emergency services

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Emergency Medical Services contribute to the majority of the alarms that many Fire Departments respond to in North America. At Security Fire Department, calls for Emergency Medical Services account for more than 70% of our entire response volume. This figure only increases over time. 

As our community continues to grow, we can see a striking rise in our total annual response volume as well as our number of requests for Emergency Medical Services. We anticipate this trend continuing. In 2022, we responded to 7,675 calls for service, nearly twice as many from 2015 when we first established the EMS division and medical transport.

 

A Brief History of The EMS Division

In an effort to improve ambulance response times and address the increasing number of medical emergencies, Security Fire Department established our EMS division in 2015. We’re one of the first unincorporated departments in El Paso County to do so. Starting with only a few previously owned ambulances, SFD took a leap of faith and began providing Advanced Life Support and ambulance transport to the Security-Widefield community. Since then, SFD’s EMS division has grown exponentially to meet the continually rising need for Emergency Medical Response. 

Today, our department staffs four full-time ambulances and provides Advanced Life Support and paramedic-level care to the Security-Widefield area as well as numerous surrounding communities. Over time, we replaced our fleet and now own six new, high-performing ambulance units equipped with some of the highest quality life-saving equipment. We pride ourselves in providing superior pre-hospital services to the communities we serve and strive to be leaders in our region in regards to advancing care and improving patient outcomes.

 

Call Volume and Statistics

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Ambulance Fleet and Equipment

SFD maintains six ambulance units in total. Four ambulances are staffed with a Paramedic and an EMT at all times and two apparatuses are held in reserve. The majority of our ambulances are top-of-the-line and produced by BRAUN Industries, a highly reputable manufacturer. Each ambulance is equipped with high-quality life-saving equipment that well exceeds the minimum standers for ambulance licensure in the region.

Every ambulance is stocked with a LifePack-15 cardiac monitor/defibrillator, KingVision and McGrath MAC video laryngoscopes, vacuum immobilization systems, and warmed IV fluid compartments among essential supplies and medications. Additionally, each unit is outfitted with Stryker PowerPro stretchers and PowerLoad systems used to ensure the safe handling of patients as well as minimize injury and strain on providers. The quality of our ambulances allows our providers to perform at the top of their capabilities and ensures the highest of prehospital medical care is received by all patients.

 

Paramedic (Advanced Life Support)

SFD provides Advanced Life Support for all medical emergencies in the form of paramedic-level providers. Paramedics are the highest trained level of prehospital providers recognized by the state of Colorado. In order to become a paramedic, a provider must be previously certified as an Emergency Medical Technician and will often times spend many years gaining experience and knowledge as an EMT prior to advancing to paramedic. In addition to prerequisite education in Biology, Physiology, and Psychology, a paramedic must attend a CAAHEP accredited program to be eligible for certification at the national or state level. 

A provider will typically spend two years or 900 contact hours receiving the necessary training in addition to a clinical internship in order to become a certified paramedic. With this extent of education, it is not uncommon for paramedics to hold an Associate’s of Applied Science in Paramedicine. Paramedics are capable of administering critical medications, interpreting cardiac dysfunction, and performing various advanced procedures necessary to sustain life and minimize suffering. SFD is proud to staff sixteen full-time paramedics who comprise the core of our EMS division and provide the highest level of prehospital care to our community.

 

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Emergency Medical Technician (Basic Life Support)

Basic Life Support is the backbone of Emergency Medical Services. At Security Fire Department, all full-time employees are required to maintain a minimum certification as an Emergency Medical Technician. EMTs are recognized by the state of Colorado as basic-level prehospital providers. 

In order to be eligible for certification, a provider must attend an accredited EMT program and will typically spend one semester or 180 contact hours achieving this training. EMTs are capable of administering a number of life-saving medications and performing essential procedures required for the acute management of medical emergencies. It is essential that all providers carry this certification in order to provide a unified standard of medical care to our community.