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Emergency Medical Services
The Rolling Meadows Fire Department EMS division serves a community of over 24,000 residents and a daytime population that more than doubles as people report to work at the businesses in our community.
Advanced Life Support Care
On-duty personnel respond from 2 stations with 2 Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances supported by ALS engines equipped with rescue equipment and all necessary supplies to begin advanced life support care. This allows firefighters who arrive first on the scene to provide the same care that an ambulance would give prior to an ambulance arriving on scene. This can greatly increase the survival rate of patients in many medical emergencies. Due to the increase in number of EMS calls, the first unit on the scene may not always be an ambulance.
On-duty personnel respond from 2 stations with 2 Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances supported by ALS engines equipped with rescue equipment and all necessary supplies to begin advanced life support care. This allows firefighters who arrive first on the scene to provide the same care that an ambulance would give prior to an ambulance arriving on scene. This can greatly increase the survival rate of patients in many medical emergencies. Due to the increase in number of EMS calls, the first unit on the scene may not always be an ambulance.
Mutual Aid Partnerships
Additionally, off-duty personnel are called upon when needed to man our 3rd, fully-equipped ALS ambulance, that is in reserve status at our station on Meadow Drive. Long-standing Mutual Aid agreements with neighboring towns expedite responses to areas of our City which can be accessed quicker by their equipment and manpower.
Increasing Call Volume
We have noticed a trend of increasing call volume. The trend has been that 50% of our calls require the administration of ALS care to our patients. ALS care is rendered to people who have life-threatening injuries or illnesses. 45% of the calls were handled at the Basic Life Support (BLS) level. These are minor in comparison, but still require skilled care at the pre-hospital level. The remaining calls were either unfounded or service- type calls in nature. Overall, EMS calls account for roughly 60% of the total emergency calls responded to by the Fire Department.
All EMS personnel are fully trained as firefighters and are able to operate in that capacity as needed. On most fire calls at least 1 of our ambulances also responds to act as support personnel at these types of incidents.
Additionally, off-duty personnel are called upon when needed to man our 3rd, fully-equipped ALS ambulance, that is in reserve status at our station on Meadow Drive. Long-standing Mutual Aid agreements with neighboring towns expedite responses to areas of our City which can be accessed quicker by their equipment and manpower.
Increasing Call Volume
We have noticed a trend of increasing call volume. The trend has been that 50% of our calls require the administration of ALS care to our patients. ALS care is rendered to people who have life-threatening injuries or illnesses. 45% of the calls were handled at the Basic Life Support (BLS) level. These are minor in comparison, but still require skilled care at the pre-hospital level. The remaining calls were either unfounded or service- type calls in nature. Overall, EMS calls account for roughly 60% of the total emergency calls responded to by the Fire Department.
All EMS personnel are fully trained as firefighters and are able to operate in that capacity as needed. On most fire calls at least 1 of our ambulances also responds to act as support personnel at these types of incidents.