In addition to fire suppression, the Lehigh Acres Fire Control & Rescue District also provides emergency medical treatment and transport services. All of our firefighters are trained as EMTs, and many are trained paramedics. By staffing a paramedic on each apparatus, we are able to provide Advanced Life Support (ALS) services from all of our fire engines and rescue trucks. Advanced life support (ALS) is a set of life-saving protocols and skills that extend basic life support such as cardiac monitoring, intubation, and administering IV medications. All of our fire engines carry the same ALS equipment that our ambulances do. So, while an engine cannot transport a patient to the hospital, the crew can begin emergency medical services to save a life.
Because we frequently transport patients outside of the District, our engines are often closer to medical emergencies and can arrive on the scene faster than rescue trucks returning from a previous call. Also, because medical emergencies sometimes occur in hazardous environments such as on a busy road or at the scene of a crime, a two-unit response provides for greater level safety of patients, fire department personnel, and bystanders.
When our units are not available due to other calls for service, the next closest fire department or Lee County EMS is dispatched to respond. This closest-unit dispatch practice in Lee County has been in place for years and puts our citizens’ health and safety as our top priority.
So the next time you see a fire engine on the scene of a medical call, rest assured that you are witnessing the responsible use of District resources to provide the highest level of care in the shortest amount of time to all patients in the Lehigh Acres Fire District.