Emergency Medical Services

The City of Calexico Fire Department is responsible for providing Emergency Paramedic Services throughout the City limits of Calexico and in some cases, beyond.

The current paramedic program uses a combination of first responder paramedic engine and truck companies operating from two fire stations, and two Advanced Life Support (ALS) Medic Units.  This allows for advanced life support to reach the patient as quickly as possible.  The ambulance is staffed with a combination of Firefighter Paramedics, and Firefighter Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) who have been cross-trained in both firefighting and emergency medical techniques for advanced life support (ALS). 

The engine and truck companies are staffed with a crew of a minimum of three.  The primary mission of this unit is to respond to a wide variety of emergencies as a "First Responder" and to take initial action.  On an emergency medical call, the Firefighter Paramedic that is assigned to this unit can quickly start advanced emergency medical life support, the help of the other two to three crew members that are trained as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) facilitates this process. 

The City of Calexico Fire Department responds at least one first responder fire apparatus and one Advanced Life Support (ALS) Medic Unit to every request for emergency medical assistance.  This provides advanced life support (ALS) personnel to attend the needs of the medical patient and enough ancillary support personnel to assist in safely moving the patient and providing for scene control that is needed at an emergency incident.  It has been often best described as bringing the emergency room to the scene of the patient.  Since first responder companies are usually disbursed throughout the City they are often closer to a medical emergency.  This places a qualified paramedic at the patient's side minutes before the ambulance can arrive. 

The combination of first responder paramedic units and transport capable Advanced Life Support (ALS) Medic Units have allowed the fire department increased flexibility in meeting the needs of emergency medical patients, while at the same time having more paramedics available in the cases of mass casualty or multiple patient incidents.  Further, the system has allowed the department to measurably improve upon emergency response times, as Medic units reach the patient in nine minutes or less 97% of the time, and paramedic first responder units have arrived on scene in eight minutes or less 98% of the time.  The average response time for a paramedic to reach the patients side has historically been under five minutes.