Did you know that not every firefighter is a paramedic? Also, not every paramedic is a firefighter. Every time you see an ambulance that ambulance may have EMTs alone or paramedics. I’m talking about Advanced Life Support versus Basic Life Support. ALS and BLS ambulances both have skilled people providing medical care at different levels of training and both will transport patients to a hospital as quickly as practicable. ALS trained paramedics receive thousands of hours of training and can give drugs during a medical emergency. EMTs are able to administer BLS care along using a defibrillator to tend to patients. More seriously sick or injured patients generally need an ALS ambulance. If you break an ankle on a ski slope you need a BLS ambulance. If your loved one clutches their chest with great pain during a heart attack you need an ALS ambulance. In either case the 911 operator can help decide if an ALS or BLS ambulance is needed. The key however, is to call the ambulance and let them take care of you. In the recent tragedy of Natasha Richardson the ambulance was purportedly turned away, which may have been a tragically lethal event because of a traumatic brain injury. Remember the people on the ambulance are para-medically trained, so give them a call and tell them what is wrong.
Check out this recent story: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/03/26/head.injury.emergency/index.html