UFD Ambulances

[WalkieTalkie]

Today I was on my way home from work and I was about 2100 south and 7200 west and there was a traffic accident on the side of the road but as I passed I noticed that unified fire had thier ambulance. Can anyone confirm that they are using thier own now instead of gold cross.

 

[Observer1]

It's not UFA wide. They have a couple, but many areas are still contracted with Gold Cross, unfortunate for patients and agencies alike.

 

[Utah_Viper]

Gold Cross serves very few area now. Most all the cities now have their own services.

 

[Observer1]

Not really true.

Salt Lake City was forbidden by the state from starting their own ambulance service, they instead contract with Southwest (no one gets the logic behind the decision, so don't ask)

Cities such as Midvale, WVC, Draper and some of Sandy have their own, however most parts of the Unified Fire Authority do not have their own. Murray does not have their own.

Gold Cross isn't the monopoly it once was but they still account for a large number of ambulance runs...either #1 or #2 in the valley depending on what kind of volume Southwest is doing with SLC.

 

[qlajlu]

In July of 2007 I made this post which some of you may remember. At that time I questioned the response protocol about sending firefighting equipment AND an ambulance on medical calls:

I have noticed that the medical response protocol apparently is to have a fire department apparatus respond on ALL medical calls along with an ambulance. I have also heard additional fire apparatus dispatched on medical calls occasionally if ALS is called for because the original apparatus did not have a paramedic in its crew. Are there NOT paramedics on the ambulances? Other than manpower in the case of moving a stretcher up or down a staircase, or extrication in the case of a bad traffic accident, why is it necessary to tie up firefighting equipment on a medical call?

Other than government creep, which is always present, I have to wonder if UFA is moving in the direction whereby they can send only a paramedic-ambulance to medical calls because those HUGE fire apparatus drink fuel like there is no tomorrow. They have to be exploring cost saving ways to render their services with the cost of fuel what it is. It would be way more cost effective to send just an ambulance than an entire fire crew with all their equipment.

I know they are not doing that just yet because yesterday a UFA ambulance and a fire truck roared past my home. I live in a not-so-easy-to-get-to subdivision so I know they were on a call. I was surprised because I did not know that UFA had ambulance rigs, especially at Station 9 in Kearns.

 

[Observer1]

Most ambulance crews don't have full paramedics, never have around here for some reason, thus why Fire responds.

Unified has been using their paramedic units for a long time in the Suburbans, but they still send the truck....a lot of times the truck goes because of problems like needing to force entry or for extrication. The medic units don't have those tools on board.

The biggest reason cities are starting their own ambulance services is the cost of private ambulances....the charge for a trip to the hospital with Gold Cross or Southwest is close to $1,000 for the patient.

 

[qlajlu]

The biggest reason cities are starting their own ambulance services is the cost of private ambulances....the charge for a trip to the hospital with Gold Cross or Southwest is close to $1,000 for the patient.

Are you saying the the FD does not charge the patient?

 

[Observer1]

I'm not sure how Fire is doing their charges for ambulance service, but I remember one of the "bonuses" they touted for using their own was a lower charge.

Here's a link to a list of Licensed and Designated EMS services in Utah. It will tell you who has what.

http://health.utah.gov/ems/providers/providerlist.html

Note that Unified Fire is only licensed to provide basic ambulance service...if they need anything else, they have to call Gold Gross.

 

[qlajlu]

Wow! That is quite a list. I have never seen that before. Just doing a scan through the list I did not see Southwest Ambulance even listed (I'll have to go back through it slower and look more closely). Do they operate under the City's qualifications? I know that SLC Fire is always sending paramedics with the ambulances when they need ALS.

That really is a good list.

 

[Observer1]

SW is on there...they're a basic service.

SLC responds with a truck to each scene, if it's a truly critical patient they'll ride in the ambulance with the patient to the hospital. For non critical patients, SW transports and the fire guys go home.

 

[qlajlu]

SW is on there...they're a basic service.

Okay, I found them...DUH! :roll:

 

[jjwhite29]

I kow here in Tooele and Grantsville we have paramedic units in each city with there own crew and they are usually called out to any thing that is Bravo or higher to assist the Ambulance. Its been a real plux out here but i do know they still send North Tooele ans South Tooele Fire to calls outside of the city to aid as first responders. I do know that things are run different out here though cause most of the responders or not paid but some are full time.