Ind. FD Launches Program to Divert Non-Emergency 911 Calls to Nurses
The Terre Haute Fire Department (THFD) has launched the Crosswalk to Care program to divert low‑acuity 911 calls to registered nurses for appropriate care navigation. Over the past seven years, THFD’s run calls grew by 450 annually, with roughly 20%—about 2,800 of 15,000 yearly runs—being non‑emergencies. Dispatchers now use a quick triage script to transfer these calls to a Dallas‑based nurse hub, where callers receive guidance toward urgent‑care, dental, mental‑health or prescription services. The initiative, already piloted in Indianapolis, incurs no upfront municipal cost, as Crosswalk is reimbursed by insurers.
'The System's Broken': Minn. EMS Faces Staffing Gaps as Calls Surge
Hennepin County’s EMS is operating below minimum staffing levels even as 911 call volume climbs 26% to nearly 100,000 annually. Union records show shifts with fewer than nine paramedics on duty when over two dozen are required, and a February...
Wash. FD Becomes Test for University's Pre-Med Expansion
The University of Washington expanded its Health Care Alternative Spring Break program to include pre‑med students shadowing emergency medical services at Longview Fire Department. In 2024, 82% of the department’s calls were medical, underscoring the relevance of pre‑hospital experience. Students...
Ambulances Diverted After Cyberattack Hits Mass. Hospital
Brockton Hospital in Massachusetts is diverting ambulances and cancelling certain services after a cybersecurity incident disrupted its information systems. Chemotherapy infusions and retail pharmacies were suspended, while inpatient and walk‑in emergency care remain operational. The hospital reverted to paper records...
Ore. County EMS Academy Gives Teens a Hands-On Look at Emergency Care
Clatsop County’s Emergency Medical Services Academy launched a free, four‑day summer program for 20 high‑school students, offering hands‑on training in CPR, ride‑alongs, and hospital tours. Funded by the Oregon Health Authority, the pilot immerses teens in ambulance, fire, and air‑medical...
Photo of the Week: Med-Trans MOH Helicopter Livery
A Med‑Trans helicopter painted with a Medal of Honor livery touched down at AMR’s NextFleet facility in Mineral Wells, Texas, during a training visit by EMS instructors. The aircraft, unveiled in 2022, was co‑designed by Global Medical Response, the Dallas...
Mullin Rescinds DHS $100K Spending Approval Rule Blamed for Disaster Response Delays
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin revoked a rule that forced personal approval of any DHS expenditure over $100,000, a policy introduced by former secretary Kristi Noem. The rule had created a bottleneck that delayed at least 1,000 FEMA contracts and...
$235K Grant Boosts Lifesaving Gear for Pa. Ambulance Service
The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development awarded a $235,000 grant to the McCandless‑Franklin Park Ambulance Authority. The funds will purchase six LUCAS mechanical chest‑compression devices and a LIFEPAK 35 heart monitor‑defibrillator, which costs about $65,000. Each ambulance will receive...
Pa. Air Medical Pilot Reaches 3,000 Patient Transports Milestone
Mike Moore, JeffSTAT lead pilot for Air Methods, completed his 3,000th patient transport in March, a milestone reached by few air‑medical pilots. The achievement caps an 18‑year tenure at the Lansdale base and reflects over 7,750 total flight hours, including...
New Paramedic Service Fills EMS Gap After Pa. Hospital Closure
The Aston Ambulance Authority launched a 24/7 paramedic service on March 24, covering Aston Township, Lower Chichester, Trainer and Marcus Hook. The new operation employs 17 paramedics, an EMS chief and a medical director, filling the pre‑hospital care void left by the...
NYC Denies 9/11 Ground Zero Toxin Records Request as Advocates File New Lawsuit
New York City has again refused a Freedom of Information Law request for records on the toxic environment at Ground Zero, even though the Department of Environmental Protection previously turned over 68 boxes of related material. Survivor advocates, led by...
Veteran Paramedic Named New EMS Chief of Wis. City
Middleton, Wisconsin, announced that veteran paramedic Kris O’Dell has been named chief of its Emergency Medical Services Department. The appointment, approved by the Middleton Common Council in February, follows O’Dell’s nearly 32 years in EMS, including over 25 years as...
Iowa FD Restores Full Ambulance Fleet with New 4x4 Unit
The Muscatine Fire Department in Iowa has restored its ambulance fleet to full strength with the addition of a new 4×4 unit, designated Ambulance 354. The vehicle, delivered in March 2026, responded to its first call on March 23 after final outfitting....
'You'll Never See a Bill': Wash. FD Launches No-Cost Ambulance Service After AMR Rate Hike
Spokane County Fire District 9 will launch its own ambulance service on July 1, offering free transport to district residents after American Medical Response doubled its rates. The district has purchased three new cherry‑red ambulances at roughly $385,000 each and expects the...
Getting Out in 4 Minutes: Audit Finds San Diego FD Response Delays After 2019 Dispatch Change
A city audit found San Diego Fire‑Rescue has missed its 6‑minute‑30‑second response‑time target for three consecutive fiscal years, largely due to a 2019 dispatch protocol that delays crew turnout. The new triage system requires firefighters to wait until a call...
Iowa Ambulance Service Marks 50 Years of Volunteer Lifesaving
The West Hancock Ambulance Service, a volunteer‑run EMS provider serving Britt and surrounding Iowa towns, marked its 50th anniversary with a community celebration on July 19. Founded in early 1976 after local funeral homes ended ambulance operations, thirteen residents pooled...
Ill. FD Takes over Ambulance Service for Neighboring Fire District
Starting July 1, the Lexington Fire Protection District will become the primary ambulance provider for the neighboring Octavia Fire Protection District, delivering basic life support services staffed by licensed EMTs. The agreement covers the communities of Anchor, Cropsey, Colfax and Cooksville....
Conn. EMTs Buy Their Own Protective Vests Amid Safety Concerns
Two Woodstock, Conn., EMTs have each spent about $500 on stab‑ and bullet‑resistant vests after their agency said budget constraints prevent issuing the gear to all 22 responders. The move comes as assaults on first responders in Connecticut climbed to...
N.J. EMS Adds Long-Acting Buprenorphine to Prehospital Overdose Care
Cooper EMS in New Jersey has added extended‑release injectable buprenorphine to its prehospital protocols, allowing paramedics to administer a week‑to‑month‑long opioid‑use‑disorder medication after reversing an overdose. The agency previously used sublingual buprenorphine on its Mobile Intensive Care Unit, but the...
When the Call Goes Sideways: First Responders Recount Shocking Field Encounters on Dax Shepard’s ‘Armchair Anonymous’
‘Armchair Anonymous’ aired an episode where anonymous first responders recounted some of their most intense field calls, ranging from a helicopter crew treating a traumatic amputation to a Canadian firefighter rescuing a man trapped under a car. The stories highlighted...
AIMHI Announces 2026 Excellence in EMS Integration Award Winners
The Academy of International Mobile Healthcare Integration announced the winners of its 2026 Excellence in EMS Integration Awards. Recipients include Sonoma County Fire District EMS, Rep. Mike Carey, Medic Keep the Beat Foundation, Prisma Health Ambulance Service, Justin Duncan, and...
Conn. Lawmakers Push for EMS Response Time Transparency
Connecticut lawmakers are advancing SB 238, which would require the Department of Public Health to build an online dashboard that publicly displays EMS response times broken down by geography, call type, and time of day. Current EMS data is two years...
Staten Island Boasts Best Numbers Among Troubling NYC EMS Response Times
The Independent Budget Office report shows Staten Island achieved the fastest advanced life support (ALS) EMS response in New York City in 2024, with 82% of calls answered within ten minutes. Across all boroughs, response times have slipped over the...
Calif. Ambulance Service Marks 50 Years of EMS Service
Bi‑County Ambulance marked its 50th anniversary serving Yuba and Sutter counties, honoring founder Kelly Bumpus and highlighting its evolution from a small local operation to a regional EMS leader. President Alex Bumpus announced recent facility upgrades and advanced training tools...
Pa. Officials Back EMS Funding Push for Wyoming County Ambulance Services
Factoryville Borough Council endorsed a $500,000 federal Community Project Funding grant to bolster emergency medical services across Wyoming County. The council also praised Tunkhannock Community Ambulance, now the borough’s primary EMS provider after the fire company stopped ambulance operations. Officials...
Photo of the Week: Del. Mobile EMS Outreach
New Castle County EMS has transformed a retired frontline ambulance into a dedicated mobile community outreach vehicle. The repurposed truck now houses tables, tents, CPR mannequins and informational materials, allowing the outreach team to drive straight to events without additional...
Lawsuit Against Tenn. Paramedics, Police Officers over Patient Death Dismissed
A federal judge dismissed a wrongful‑death lawsuit against Bristol, Tennessee police and paramedics over the 2017 death of 23‑year‑old Austin Hunter Turner, ruling the statute of limitations had expired. The family filed the suit in 2024 after the Associated Press...
'Ambulance Desert': Ala. Legislators Push Bill to Fix Rural EMS Crisis
Alabama lawmakers are advancing HB 269 and its companion HB 400 to overhaul ambulance reimbursement rates and allow "treat‑in‑place" billing, aiming to keep rural EMS providers financially viable. The measures respond to an "ambulance desert" landscape where response times can exceed an...
Staff Cuts Hit 9/11 WTC Health Program as Workers Reassigned to ICE
Federal officials have reassigned two senior employees of the World Trade Center Health Program to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Indian Health Service, deepening an already severe staffing shortage. The program, budgeted for 120 workers, now operates with only...
Mobile Crisis Teams Ease EMS, Police Workload but Face Uncertain Funding
Mobile crisis teams are proving effective at de‑escalating psychiatric emergencies, with Bozeman, Montana’s unit cutting police mental‑health call time by nearly 80% and averting unnecessary ER visits. Across the United States, at least 1,800 teams operate, yet most rely on...
Mont. FD Gains Medical Response Role to Cut Rural EMS Delays
The Ferndale Fire Department in Montana earned Quick Response Unit certification on Feb. 13, allowing its volunteers to answer medical emergencies directly. The new status cut response times by roughly ten minutes, as demonstrated when EMTs arrived before the Bigfork ambulance...
Va. FD Launches PulsePoint App to Alert CPR-Trained Bystanders to Nearby Cardiac Arrests
The Danville Fire Department partnered with the Danville Emergency Communications Center to launch PulsePoint Respond, a free mobile app that alerts CPR‑trained citizens to nearby cardiac arrests. The service taps into the department’s 8,000‑call annual volume, which included 49 cardiac...
Colo. Therapy Dog Task Force Expands Nationwide to Support First Responders
The Go Team, a Colorado‑based nonprofit founded after the 2012 Waldo Canyon fire, now operates more than 1,000 therapy‑dog teams across the United States. Handlers and their dogs are dispatched to disaster sites, mass‑shooting aftermaths, protests, hospitals, and police or...
Mich. City Adds Fourth Ambulance, Fire Engine as City EMS System Expands
Flint, Michigan, has expanded its emergency services by adding a fourth ambulance and a $1.2 million fire engine to the city’s Fire Department fleet. The ambulance service, launched in 2024, has already completed more than 900 runs this year, and the...
Calif. Pension Reform for Firefighters Could Swing Back Toward Richer Benefits
Assembly Bill 1383 would let California public‑safety unions negotiate more generous retirement benefits for newly hired police officers and firefighters, lowering the retirement age from 57 to 55 and raising the compensation cap to $280,000. The bill, the most significant...
Fitch EMS Foundation Accepting Applications for 2026 James O. Page Legacy Scholarship
The Fitch EMS Foundation has opened applications for the 2026 James O. Page Legacy Scholarship, sponsored by Mission Critical Protocols Inc. and due by March 15, 2026. The award includes a six‑part mentorship with veteran EMS leader Dr. Jay Fitch...
National Registry of EMTs Launches New Podcast 'From Science to the Scene'
The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians has launched a short‑form podcast called “From Science to the Scene.” Each episode runs about ten minutes and translates the latest EMS research into practical field guidance. Early topics include tranexamic acid in...
Texas EMS Staffing Shortage Causes Shift Change, Forcing Medics to Sleep on Cots During Pilot Program
Fort Worth’s fire department is grappling with a severe EMS staffing shortage, with an attrition rate of 16%—about seven employees leaving each month. The agency now has 360 EMS personnel, 89 positions below its target of 449, and 74 trainees...
Texas Firefighters Union Says Rising EMS Demand Shows Need for More Ambulances, Not Fewer Engines
The Grapevine Professional Firefighters Association is challenging the city’s plan to close Engine 1 and replace it with a two‑person squad, arguing the move undermines fire‑suppression capacity. The union cites a 19.8% rise in total emergency calls and a 13.1% increase...
Appeals Court Upholds Prison Sentence in Fatal Ohio Ambulance Crash
The 11th District Court of Appeals affirmed a four‑year prison term for Jason Slepsky, who pleaded no contest to aggravated vehicular homicide after his 2023 collision with a South Central Ambulance District (SCAD) ambulance killed a patient and injured two...
Calif. FD Drops Private Service, Launches City-Run Ambulance Service
The Fullerton Fire Department launched a city‑run ambulance service on Feb 2, hiring 32 operators after receiving over 500 applications. The program began with refurbished ambulances while awaiting seven new units, and it operates three 24‑hour shifts plus an additional 12‑hour...
Treat Aggressively: Pittsburgh EMS Rescue Program Sees 98% Survival Rate
Pittsburgh EMS launched the Rescue Medicine Bundle, an aggressive pre‑hospital care program that treats shock, hemorrhage, hypothermia and pain during extrication. From 2022‑2025 the bureau completed 118 rescues with 116 survivors, and in 2025 alone achieved a perfect 100 % survival...
10-Hour Ambulance Delay Puts Seattle’s 911 Call Triage Under Scrutiny
Seattle’s fire department relies on for‑profit contractor American Medical Response (AMR) for most 911 transports and introduced a Nurse Navigation program in 2022 to triage low‑acuity calls via a remote nurse line. The program exempts nurse‑ordered ambulance rides from standard...
Cleveland Hospital Partners with OneDose for EMS-Specific Medication Safety
OneDose has launched eMACC, an electronic Medication Administration Cross‑Check app tailored for EMS clinicians, in partnership with University Hospitals’ EMS Institute. The tool digitizes cross‑checks, pushes protocol updates instantly, and aims to cut medication errors by more than 40 %. Early...
Technimount Offers New Bracket for D-Size INOmax Gas Cylinder
Technimount has launched the Techni-INO, a crash‑tested bracket that securely holds D‑Size INOmax gas cylinders during EMS transport. The solution complies with SAE J3043 safety standards, reducing the risk of cylinders becoming projectiles in collisions or sudden stops. It incorporates...
Mich. FD Rolls Out Peak-Demand EMS Units to Fight Paramedic Burnout
Sterling Heights Fire Department launched a peak‑demand EMS unit staffed by EMTs to handle low‑acuity 911 calls, freeing paramedics for high‑severity incidents. The initiative pairs with a new five‑color dispatch system that prioritizes calls by medical urgency. Since its October...
Mont. Hospital System Brings 24/7 Ambulance Service to Rural County
Intermountain Health will begin providing 24/7 emergency medical services to eastern Yellowstone County, Montana, starting July 1. The partnership with Yellowstone County and the Worden and Shepherd fire districts includes purchasing two ambulances and hiring ten paramedics and EMTs. It addresses...
Ilinois Hospital Breaks Ground on New EMS Transport Hub
Deaconess Illinois Medical Center in Marion has broken ground on a new EMS transport hub slated for completion in May. The 4‑ambulance facility will relocate EMS operations from Harrisburg to a centralized Marion campus, providing on‑site crew living space. Hospital...
Mo. University Receives $4.6M Grant to Launch Mobile Blood Transfusion Program
University of Missouri School of Medicine received a $4.6 million federal grant to launch a mobile pre‑hospital blood transfusion program in Columbia. The initiative aims to equip EMS crews with training and portable blood supplies, targeting rapid intervention for trauma victims,...
Colo. FD Launches Community Paramedic Program to Curb Repeat 911 Calls
The Grand Junction Fire Department has launched a Community Paramedic Program aimed at curbing repeat 911 calls by providing in‑home follow‑up for high‑utilization patients with chronic illnesses. Designated paramedics will visit residents within 24‑48 hours of an emergency call to...