Normal Fire Department staffs three paramedic ambulances, one at each of our fire stations. Each Normal Fire Department ambulance is staffed with a two-person crew.
Additionally, the fire department has a paramedic chase vehicle that can be used to intercept with basic level ambulance services to provide paramedic level care, or to provide care at major events in town.
Paramedics use high-tech equipment, such as defibrillators, which restore the heart's rhythm, spinal and traction splints and intravenous drips, as well as administer oxygen and life-saving medications.
On the Scene
When they arrive at the scene, they will assess the patient's condition and make potentially life-saving decisions about any treatment needed before the patient is transported to the hospital. They then start giving the treatment, based on established medical protocols. They work closely with doctors and nurses in the emergency departments, briefing them over the radio to prepare them for the incoming patient. Once they arrive at the hospital, they hand the care of the patient over to the hospital.
Due to the amount of training and equipment required to operate as a paramedic-level service, a Normal Fire Department ambulance is, in essence, a mobile emergency room equipped to handle virtually any medical event or trauma.