Columbus Division of Fire to Change Paramedic Staffing on Medic Units
Dec. 10--For 20 years, the Columbus Division of Fire has sent two paramedics on every transport vehicle for medical calls.
Beginning this spring, that will change, city officials announced Friday at Columbus Fire Station 15, which borders the city's Near East Side in the heart of Driving Park. It's one of the busiest fire stations when it comes to medical runs.
"Our current EMS system was not designed for the tremendous growth in population Columbus has experienced over the last 20 years which, combined with an aging population and significant public-health challenges, have caused a tremendous increase in EMS calls for service," said Mayor Andrew J. Ginther.
Firefighters across the city spend most of their time answering medical calls. Of more than 155,000 calls they received last year, more than 85 percent were for medical issues.
That's why the city soon will begin sending a paramedic and a basic emergency medical technician on each medic unit, meeting the state's minimum requirement for emergency transport vehicles. Right now, with two paramedics staffing one unit, a paramedic is driving while the other administers patient care. The change, officials say, will allow paramedics to go on fire calls, and cut down on their overtime and fatigue.
Paramedics have an additional year of training and are better equipped to handle the advanced life-support calls, such as a stroke, heart attack or trauma such as a shooting or stabbing, said Columbus Fire Battalion Chief Steven Martin. They can administer medications and begin intravenous lines before a patient arrives at a hospital.
Emergency medical technicians can provide basic life support care including CPR, giving patients oxygen, and delivering babies.
Fire engines will continue to be staffed with one paramedic as they are now. Three supervisors will be added to pitch in. Medic units that now answer calls in high call areas only during peak times will become a full-time addition, officials said. If there's a trauma call, multiple medic units will respond.
Care shouldn't change for patients, city officials said. Last year, 67 percent of patients required only basic life support, said Division of Fire Medical Director David Keseg. Of the 89,212 advanced life-support calls last year, Keseg said almost all of those could be handled by one paramedic and one EMT.
The city's current model of using two paramedics -- one for advanced life support -- was designed to handle 169 calls per day when it was established in 1996. At the time, the city had 1,269 firefighters on staff. The system, which has not had a dramatic increase in staffing since then, now handles on average more than 600 calls per day, Columbus Fire Chief Kevin O'Connor said.
"In essence, the same number of personnel who were here 20 years ago are doing twice the work today," he said.
All of the city's 1,535 firefighters are certified as basic EMTs. Of those, 674 are certified paramedics.
Aside from changing how medical calls are staffed, some resources will be added:
- Per the 2017 city budget, 80 firefighters will be added, which officials say will make 2017 the largest single year of adding firefighters in years. "It's a good first start," O'Connor said. Still, about 56 retirements are projected from the division next year, meaning the actual number of new bodies will be about 24.
- Station 2, at 4th and Fulton streets, will reopen next year. Another new station on the Far East Side will be added in 2018.
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