Emergency Medical Services
Nearly 70 percent of the emergency alarms to which Clackamas Fire District #1 firefighters respond are medical in nature.
Clackamas Fire District #1 responds to these emergencies with highly skilled cross trained firefighter/paramedics and firefighters (EMTs) equipped with the latest technology in emergency medical equipment. Currently, Clackamas Fire District #1 consists of 156 paramedics, 13 EMT Intermediates, and over 50 EMT Basics. Each piece of career fire apparatus responds with at least 1 paramedic and carries the latest in advanced life support equipment.
Clackamas Fire District #1’s EMTs and paramedics also respond to motor vehicle accidents, water rescue emergencies, high angle rescues, and other emergencies requiring emergency medical treatment. Because of this, Clackamas Fire District #1’s EMTs and paramedics are continuously training to care for patients in these situations.
Emergency medical response in Clackamas Fire District #1 is performed using a two-tiered system. When the 9-1-1 system is activated, both the fire department and a private ambulance company are dispatched. This ensures the fastest response time to the emergency and provides the needed personnel to treat and transport the patient. Clackamas Fire District #1 works closely with American Medical Response, the County contracted ambulance transport company to provide fast and professional medical services.
Fast response of paramedics equipped with defibrillators, airway devices, and heart medications give cardiac arrest victims the best chance of survival.
The term Chain of Survival provides a useful metaphor to help improve cardiac arrest patient’s chances of survival and recovery.
The five links in the adult out-of-hospital Chain of Survival:
- Recognition of cardiac arrest and notification to the 9-1-1 telephone system
- Early CPR with an emphasis on chest compressions
- Early Defibrillation – the delivery of a shock to the heart by using an AED
- Early Advanced Care from highly trained paramedics who can respond to the patient to provide care, prior to the arrival to a hospital
- Advanced life support and post-cardiac arrest care
To promote greater public access to defibrillators, Clackamas Fire District #1 supports in funding Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) for area businesses and schools to have an AED at their location.
► For more information on how your business or school can apply for AED financial assistance or a loaner AED, click HERE.
► To receive notifications of a cardiac emergency in your area to administer bystander CPR, download the PulsePoint app by clicking HERE.
Clackamas Fire District #1 protects the privacy of its patients by strictly following the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPPA). Our HIPPA policy is designed to protect the privacy and rights of our patients while allowing certain information to be used for quality control purposes pertaining to the Release of Medical Records.