Butler County: Difference between Medic and ALS

[belvdr]

I have heard this a couple of times before, but thought I misheard. Today, I heard Medic 153 and ALS 153 en route to a call. I know a Medic unit is technically an ALS-equipped ambulance, but what is the ALS unit, an ALS-equipped engine?

 

[scannerboy02]

The ALS unit is generally a staff member who acts as a supervisor, kinda like a district/battalion chief on the fire side. They usually respond in a staff car of some kind and carry extra equipment and work as an extra set of hands at the scene.

 

[belvdr]

Thanks. I don't recall an ALS unit being dispatched when a Battalion Chief was dispatch, so that makes sense.

 

[tvengr]

In Baltimore County MD, a medic unit is BLS or ALS depending upon the training level of the personnel on board.

 

[belvdr]

In Baltimore County MD, a medic unit is BLS or ALS depending upon the training level of the personnel on board.

Right and that was the first unit dispatched, a Medic. Here, that’s the ambulance. Then an ALS unit was dispatched and that confused me.

 

[jrl44430]

I think the medic is a paramedic and ALS is someone trained just below a medic in Advanced Life Support.

 

[JethrowJohnson]

I think the medic is a paramedic and ALS is someone trained just below a medic in Advanced Life Support.

I think Paramedic is the only rank in Advanced Life Support, I don't think there's another. There are EMRs (Emergency Medical Responders) which are BLS but the only EMRs are at some volunteer fire departments because the law requires that all career fire departments's staff members are all EMTs or higher, and law enforcement officers are EMRs, and then there's EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians) that are also BLS and that's the lowest medical rank at most career fire departments, and then there's AEMTs (Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians) and they're sometimes called Intermediates, they're ILS, and then there's Paramedics that are ALS.

 

[JethrowJohnson]

I think the medic is a paramedic

And the Medic Unit itself, Medic 153, is the ambulance, not the personnel. And it would be two paramedics usually, although sometimes it could be three, but I think it's normally two.

 

[n3obl]

Ok. so the OP needs to find out what the terms are specific to their area. We don't need fifty million versions of what people do in their area.

Every area calls them different things. Eastern Ohio refers to ambulances as "squads" whereas in western pa that's fire dept pickup truck.

 

[JethrowJohnson]

Ok. so the OP needs to find out what the terms are specific to their area. We don't need fifty million versions of what people do in their area.

Every area calls them different things. Eastern Ohio refers to ambulances as "squads" whereas in western pa that's fire dept pickup truck.

"Squad" is slang though. It's not the actual term. I agree with @scannerboy02 that ALS 153 was most likely an EMS Supervisor.

 

[J_8671]

It kind of depends on the department.

A few of the smaller fire departments in Butler County have ALS (Advanced Life Support) units that respond either first or with the dispatch of a medic (ambulance). The ALS unit is usually a paramedic and/or a supervisor, but not always a supervisor. The ALS units are usually paid staff that are already on station so they can respond quickly to provide medical care. Some of the smaller departments rely on part-time/volunteer staff so getting a crew for a medic unit (the ambulance) might require them to get to the station to get the ambulance and then to the call. If the medical care ends up not needing a paramedic and only EMTs, this then also frees up the ALS unit to go back to station. With the smaller departments, staffing is an issue and they might only have a few paramedics, while others are only EMT's.
Generally, in Butler County a medic unit is the ambulance. That doesn't mean it is staffed with paramedics in smaller departments it might only be EMT's.

A few of the larger departments use ASL units like @scannerboy02 described. They are a paramedic/supervisor that respond and the unit has extra equipment. Most of the larger departments just refer to the ambulance as a medic unit and it is staffed with paramedics.
Other larger departments don't use ASL units at all and the ambulance units are staff with paramedics always.

 

[JethrowJohnson]

Another thought I had is that it could be like a Rescue Squad.

 

[belvdr]

Another thought I had is that it could be like a Rescue Squad.

I've done a bit more research and this particular facility is EMS only. Based on photos, I think @scannerboy02 was correct, and this is an ALS unit, staffed by a paramedic, and it's a Chevy Suburban.

 

[JethrowJohnson]

I've done a bit more research and this particular facility is EMS only. Based on photos, I think @scannerboy02 was correct, and this is an ALS unit, staffed by a paramedic, and it's a Chevy Suburban.

That was my main suspicion. Glad you figured it out. 👍

 

[DanKC8PAE]

Here is a list of the ALS chase cars for Butler County. ALS 31 & 32 City of Fairfield, ALS 41 College Corner, ALS 51 City of Trenton ALS 153 Madison Twp, ALS 231 St. Clair Twp / New Miami. The ALS cars are equipped with advanced life support equipment. ( cardiac monitor / defibrillator, drug box and the standard first in medical bag. They are staffed with a supervisor or a senior paramedic. City of Fairfield uses there's instead of running an engine out on all of the medical calls. There are some high acuity calls that all 3 units, a medic unit (ambulance) ALS unit (staff car / SUV) and an Engine or a ladder (fire truck) Fairfield City is a combination full time/part time department. All of the rest of the departments in the county are either all volunteer or a combination department that is part time paid and volunteer. The part time paid staff respond in the medic unit with a crew of 2 and the ALS unit with a crew of one. An engine will also respond on the high acuity calls but volunteers will have to respond to the station to get the fire truck.