Merced Fire Department now staffed with paramedics

MERCED, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The City of Merced Fire Department welcomed the instauration of life-saving Advanced Life Support (ALS) capabilities to Engine 53 connected New Year's Day with a ribbon-cutting ceremonial connected Thursday.

Fire officials accidental the determination from Basic Life Support with EMT staffing to ALS with 24/7 paramedic staffing volition let them to execute a higher level of attraction successful exigency situations. In fact, successful their archetypal 24 hours, they person already assisted with the transport of 2 patients to the hospital.

They welcomed the upgrade by cutting an EKG strip, drafting connected 1 of the galore caller capabilities of Engine 53. In summation to interpreting EKGS, the Merced Fire Department says the upgrade volition let their recently accredited squad to administer a wide scope of medications, commencement IVs, and execute precocious airway interventions.

They are presently equipped with 8 afloat accredited paramedics and person 4 paramedics successful the last signifier of grooming and six firefighters who volition statesman their grooming this month.