In last night's *The Rookie*, LAFD EMTs responding to a
call for medical assistance arrived in a fire truck, in fairly
full firefighter gear -- helmets, protective outerwear.

Is that usual?

In *Chicago Fire*, CFD EMTs drive an ambulance and
wear an ordinary uniform resembling that of any city
worker who wears a uniform.

In the very sad occurrence last week of a NYC EMT
being murdered (stabbed multiple times) while on duty
taking her lunch break, she wore that sort of uniform.
(61, six months from retirement).

Ambulances are faster and more maneuverable than
fire trucks. EMTs do not participate in fighting fires.
Is the *Rookie* depiction accurate?

Le lundi 17 octobre 2022 à 16:12:03 UTC+2, Peter T. Daniels a écrit :
> In last night's *The Rookie*, LAFD EMTs responding to a
> call for medical assistance arrived in a fire truck, in fairly
> full firefighter gear -- helmets, protective outerwear.
>
> Is that usual?
>
> In *Chicago Fire*, CFD EMTs drive an ambulance and
> wear an ordinary uniform resembling that of any city
> worker who wears a uniform.
>
> In the very sad occurrence last week of a NYC EMT
> being murdered (stabbed multiple times) while on duty
> taking her lunch break, she wore that sort of uniform.
> (61, six months from retirement).
>
> Ambulances are faster and more maneuverable than
> fire trucks. EMTs do not participate in fighting fires.
> Is the *Rookie* depiction accurate?

This explains that at least it should be:

https://www.ems1.com/ems-products/personal-protective-equipment-ppe/articles/6-important-ppe-items-paramedics-should-be-wearing-but-arent-yTryZlniqAtj9VNd/

On Monday, October 17, 2022 at 11:38:05 AM UTC-4, Bebercito wrote:
> Le lundi 17 octobre 2022 à 16:12:03 UTC+2, Peter T. Daniels a écrit :

> > In last night's *The Rookie*, LAFD EMTs responding to a
> > call for medical assistance arrived in a fire truck, in fairly
> > full firefighter gear -- helmets, protective outerwear.
> >
> > Is that usual?
> >
> > In *Chicago Fire*, CFD EMTs drive an ambulance and
> > wear an ordinary uniform resembling that of any city
> > worker who wears a uniform.
> >
> > In the very sad occurrence last week of a NYC EMT
> > being murdered (stabbed multiple times) while on duty
> > taking her lunch break, she wore that sort of uniform.
> > (61, six months from retirement).
> >
> > Ambulances are faster and more maneuverable than
> > fire trucks. EMTs do not participate in fighting fires.
> > Is the *Rookie* depiction accurate?
> This explains that at least it should be:
>
> https://www.ems1.com/ems-products/personal-protective-equipment-ppe/articles/6-important-ppe-items-paramedics-should-be-wearing-but-arent-yTryZlniqAtj9VNd/

Not a word about answering a call in a firetruck.

The only relevant sentence is "Paramedics and EMTs need a
helmet that is designed for the work of paramedicine and not
firefighting."

EMTs do NOT participate in firefighting and any special garb/gear
this guy recommends has nothing to do with protection from fire.

If it's different in France, that's immaterial.

Le lundi 17 octobre 2022 à 18:46:24 UTC+2, Peter T. Daniels a écrit :
> On Monday, October 17, 2022 at 11:38:05 AM UTC-4, Bebercito wrote:
> > Le lundi 17 octobre 2022 à 16:12:03 UTC+2, Peter T. Daniels a écrit :
>
> > > In last night's *The Rookie*, LAFD EMTs responding to a
> > > call for medical assistance arrived in a fire truck, in fairly
> > > full firefighter gear -- helmets, protective outerwear.
> > >
> > > Is that usual?
> > >
> > > In *Chicago Fire*, CFD EMTs drive an ambulance and
> > > wear an ordinary uniform resembling that of any city
> > > worker who wears a uniform.
> > >
> > > In the very sad occurrence last week of a NYC EMT
> > > being murdered (stabbed multiple times) while on duty
> > > taking her lunch break, she wore that sort of uniform.
> > > (61, six months from retirement).
> > >
> > > Ambulances are faster and more maneuverable than
> > > fire trucks. EMTs do not participate in fighting fires.
> > > Is the *Rookie* depiction accurate?
> > This explains that at least it should be:
> >
> > https://www.ems1.com/ems-products/personal-protective-equipment-ppe/articles/6-important-ppe-items-paramedics-should-be-wearing-but-arent-yTryZlniqAtj9VNd/
> Not a word about answering a call in a firetruck.

A possible explanation (though not about LA):

---

(...)

In Chicago, like many cities, the fire department oversees both firefighters and paramedics
who work on ambulances.

When a medical call comes in, dispatchers usually prefer to send ambulances.. But there are
half as many of those as there are firetrucks. And fire department spokesman Larry Langford
says those ambulances can be super busy.

"They'll hit the street at 7 o'clock in the morning and may not come back to the firehouse at
all until 7 o'clock the next morning," he says.

Meanwhile, firetrucks are often much less busy and parked in firehouses, just minutes away
from any given emergency.

So the 911 dispatchers make a choice.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/04/11/523025987/why-send-a-firetruck-to-do-an-ambulances-job
---

In cases where firetrucks are dispatched, the staff must be firefighters
doubling as EMTs and as such must wear the usual firefighter gear.

>
> The only relevant sentence is "Paramedics and EMTs need a
> helmet that is designed for the work of paramedicine and not
> firefighting."
>
> EMTs do NOT participate in firefighting and any special garb/gear
> this guy recommends has nothing to do with protection from fire.

Except when EMTs are firefighters (see above).
>
> If it's different in France, that's immaterial.

As is the remark.

On Mon, 17 Oct 2022 11:02:07 -0700 (PDT), Bebercito
<bebercito@aol.com> wrote:

>Le lundi 17 octobre 2022 à 18:46:24 UTC+2, Peter T. Daniels a écrit :
>> On Monday, October 17, 2022 at 11:38:05 AM UTC-4, Bebercito wrote:
>> > Le lundi 17 octobre 2022 à 16:12:03 UTC+2, Peter T. Daniels a écrit :
>>
>> > > In last night's *The Rookie*, LAFD EMTs responding to a
>> > > call for medical assistance arrived in a fire truck, in fairly
>> > > full firefighter gear -- helmets, protective outerwear.
>> > >
>> > > Is that usual?
>> > >
>> > > In *Chicago Fire*, CFD EMTs drive an ambulance and
>> > > wear an ordinary uniform resembling that of any city
>> > > worker who wears a uniform.
>> > >
>> > > In the very sad occurrence last week of a NYC EMT
>> > > being murdered (stabbed multiple times) while on duty
>> > > taking her lunch break, she wore that sort of uniform.
>> > > (61, six months from retirement).
>> > >
>> > > Ambulances are faster and more maneuverable than
>> > > fire trucks. EMTs do not participate in fighting fires.
>> > > Is the *Rookie* depiction accurate?
>> > This explains that at least it should be:
>> >
>> > https://www.ems1.com/ems-products/personal-protective-equipment-ppe/articles/6-important-ppe-items-paramedics-should-be-wearing-but-arent-yTryZlniqAtj9VNd/
>> Not a word about answering a call in a firetruck.
>
>A possible explanation (though not about LA):
>
>---
>
>(...)
>
>In Chicago, like many cities, the fire department oversees both firefighters and paramedics
>who work on ambulances.
>
>When a medical call comes in, dispatchers usually prefer to send ambulances. But there are
>half as many of those as there are firetrucks. And fire department spokesman Larry Langford
>says those ambulances can be super busy.
>
>"They'll hit the street at 7 o'clock in the morning and may not come back to the firehouse at
>all until 7 o'clock the next morning," he says.
>
>Meanwhile, firetrucks are often much less busy and parked in firehouses, just minutes away
>from any given emergency.
>
>So the 911 dispatchers make a choice.
>
>https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/04/11/523025987/why-send-a-firetruck-to-do-an-ambulances-job
>---
>
>In cases where firetrucks are dispatched, the staff must be firefighters
>doubling as EMTs and as such must wear the usual firefighter gear.
>
>>
>> The only relevant sentence is "Paramedics and EMTs need a
>> helmet that is designed for the work of paramedicine and not
>> firefighting."
>>
>> EMTs do NOT participate in firefighting and any special garb/gear
>> this guy recommends has nothing to do with protection from fire.
>
>Except when EMTs are firefighters (see above).
>
>>
>> If it's different in France, that's immaterial.
>
>As is the remark.

In the US, who responds to accident/medical calls varies between
states, cities, and counties within the states.

In Florida firefighters respond to traffic accidents with injuries and
medical distress calls, and my son is a firefighter who is also a
paramedic. He rides in what you would the "ambulance" (a box truck
fitted out as an ambulance) and does not wear protective firefighting
gear. That would encumber him in treating accident/medical distress
victims and block his access to his medical tool belt.

His firefighting gear is stored in the ambulance, though, and he is
expected to fill in as a firefighter when the situation requires it.

Most Florida firefighters have EMT certification even if their regular
job is firefighter or engineer (driver of the firetruck). The EMTs
who also ride with my son in the "ambulance" are also certified
firefighters and expected to fill in as a firefighter when the
situation requires it.

When there is a traffic accident or a 911 call for a medical
emergency, both the "ambulance" and one or more firetrucks are sent to
the scene. It may not seem necessary to send a firetruck to a
residence where a 911 call has been placed for a heart attack, but the
"ambulance" usually has only two people: a paramedic and an EMT.
(Televison fire departments have bigger budgets)

The firetruck crew may be used to gain access to the residence, help
the paramedic and EMT carry the gurney down stairs, or secure the
residence after the "box" (the "ambulance") leaves with the patient.

I don't know what the drill is in Chicago or LA, but a television show
is more likely to be staged for dramatic effect rather than realism.

The "helmet" comment sounds a bit laughable, but maybe it's true in
some areas. Unless there's an active fire, or has been, what I see on
firefighter's heads are baseball-type caps.

--

Tony Cooper - Orlando Florida

I read and post to this group as a form of entertainment.

Tony Cooper suggested that ...
> On Mon, 17 Oct 2022 11:02:07 -0700 (PDT), Bebercito
> <bebercito@aol.com> wrote:
>
>> Le lundi 17 octobre 2022 à 18:46:24 UTC+2, Peter T. Daniels a écrit :
>>> On Monday, October 17, 2022 at 11:38:05 AM UTC-4, Bebercito wrote:
>>>> Le lundi 17 octobre 2022 à 16:12:03 UTC+2, Peter T. Daniels a écrit :
>>>>> In last night's *The Rookie*, LAFD EMTs responding to a
>>>>> call for medical assistance arrived in a fire truck, in fairly
>>>>> full firefighter gear -- helmets, protective outerwear.
>>>>>
>>>>> Is that usual?
>>>>>
>>>>> In *Chicago Fire*, CFD EMTs drive an ambulance and
>>>>> wear an ordinary uniform resembling that of any city
>>>>> worker who wears a uniform.
>>>>>
>>>>> In the very sad occurrence last week of a NYC EMT
>>>>> being murdered (stabbed multiple times) while on duty
>>>>> taking her lunch break, she wore that sort of uniform.
>>>>> (61, six months from retirement).
>>>>>
>>>>> Ambulances are faster and more maneuverable than
>>>>> fire trucks. EMTs do not participate in fighting fires.
>>>>> Is the *Rookie* depiction accurate?
>>>> This explains that at least it should be:
>>>>
>>>> https://www.ems1.com/ems-products/personal-protective-equipment-ppe/articles/6-important-ppe-items-paramedics-should-be-wearing-but-arent-yTryZlniqAtj9VNd/
>>> Not a word about answering a call in a firetruck.
>>
>> A possible explanation (though not about LA):
>>
>> ---
>>
>> (...)
>>
>> In Chicago, like many cities, the fire department oversees both firefighters
>> and paramedics who work on ambulances.
>>
>> When a medical call comes in, dispatchers usually prefer to send ambulances.
>> But there are half as many of those as there are firetrucks. And fire
>> department spokesman Larry Langford says those ambulances can be super busy.
>>
>> "They'll hit the street at 7 o'clock in the morning and may not come back to
>> the firehouse at all until 7 o'clock the next morning," he says.
>>
>> Meanwhile, firetrucks are often much less busy and parked in firehouses,
>> just minutes away from any given emergency.
>>
>> So the 911 dispatchers make a choice.
>>
>> https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/04/11/523025987/why-send-a-firetruck-to-do-an-ambulances-job
>> ---
>>
>> In cases where firetrucks are dispatched, the staff must be firefighters
>> doubling as EMTs and as such must wear the usual firefighter gear.
>>
>>>
>>> The only relevant sentence is "Paramedics and EMTs need a
>>> helmet that is designed for the work of paramedicine and not
>>> firefighting."
>>>
>>> EMTs do NOT participate in firefighting and any special garb/gear
>>> this guy recommends has nothing to do with protection from fire.
>>
>> Except when EMTs are firefighters (see above).
>>
>>>
>>> If it's different in France, that's immaterial.
>>
>> As is the remark.
>
> In the US, who responds to accident/medical calls varies between
> states, cities, and counties within the states.
>
> In Florida firefighters respond to traffic accidents with injuries and
> medical distress calls, and my son is a firefighter who is also a
> paramedic. He rides in what you would the "ambulance" (a box truck
> fitted out as an ambulance) and does not wear protective firefighting
> gear. That would encumber him in treating accident/medical distress
> victims and block his access to his medical tool belt.
>
> His firefighting gear is stored in the ambulance, though, and he is
> expected to fill in as a firefighter when the situation requires it.
>
> Most Florida firefighters have EMT certification even if their regular
> job is firefighter or engineer (driver of the firetruck). The EMTs
> who also ride with my son in the "ambulance" are also certified
> firefighters and expected to fill in as a firefighter when the
> situation requires it.
>
> When there is a traffic accident or a 911 call for a medical
> emergency, both the "ambulance" and one or more firetrucks are sent to
> the scene. It may not seem necessary to send a firetruck to a
> residence where a 911 call has been placed for a heart attack, but the
> "ambulance" usually has only two people: a paramedic and an EMT.
> (Televison fire departments have bigger budgets)
>
> The firetruck crew may be used to gain access to the residence, help
> the paramedic and EMT carry the gurney down stairs, or secure the
> residence after the "box" (the "ambulance") leaves with the patient.
>
> I don't know what the drill is in Chicago or LA, but a television show
> is more likely to be staged for dramatic effect rather than realism.

I'm not quite sure about LA proper, and it may well be different
between LA City and LA County. Within LA County, the city [1] of
Lakewood has a box. In this Orange County, it can vary within a few
miles; Huntington Beach has a box, and Fountain Valley does not. For
both Lakewood and Huntington Beach, if the box rolls there's also a
fire truck rolling to the same incident.

When I lived in Aliso Viejo, which is served by a County Fire Authority
station, I frequently saw fire trucks rolling up to the apartment
complex (several 3 story buildings in a gated property), and no
separate paramedic vehicle.

On the freeways, I frequently see fire trucks responding, but no
separate paramedic vehicle. But then, I don't see it as a big leap
from "we've got to pack medical supplies in case we get hurt in the
fire" to "we can pack enough medical supplies to respond to many types
of medical emergencies", and some fire departments don't want to pay
for an extra vehicle. Of course, it's a trade-off between paying for
an extra vehicle and paying for the extra wear on your big vehicle, but
actual structure fires are not as common as they were when my great
uncle was a fire fighter in Brooklyn.

I'm also remembering a friend who had been a volunteer fireman in some
New York enclave [2] that had once been where a certain FD Roosevelt
lived; apparently the full fire rig was answering medical calls there.

> The "helmet" comment sounds a bit laughable, but maybe it's true in
> some areas. Unless there's an active fire, or has been, what I see on
> firefighter's heads are baseball-type caps.

[1] Within California, many if not all incorporated municipalities are
incorporated as "cities", even if they are towns or villages in scope.

[2] I'm not going to bang my tongue around trying to get the "town"
name off it, and I'm punting on whether it is a town or city or
other-legal-corporation-or-entity.

[3]

/dps

--
I have always been glad we weren't killed that night. I do not know
any particular reason, but I have always been glad.
_Roughing It_, Mark Twain

On Tuesday, October 18, 2022 at 1:24:02 PM UTC-4, snide...@gmail.com wrote:

> I'm also remembering a friend who had been a volunteer fireman in some
> New York enclave [2] that had once been where a certain FD Roosevelt
> lived; apparently the full fire rig was answering medical calls there.
>
> [1] Within California, many if not all incorporated municipalities are
> incorporated as "cities", even if they are towns or villages in scope.

Around here, cities (and villages) tend to have mayors, towns tend
to have managers. Mayors are elected, managers are hired by town
councils or whatever (which are elected).
> [2] I'm not going to bang my tongue around trying to get the "town"
> name off it, and I'm punting on whether it is a town or city or
> other-legal-corporation-or-entity.

Hyde Park