“Constructive” suggested the other day that the blog discuss areas where the city could cut services and expenses.
The fire department sends pumper trucks and sometimes ladder trucks on ambulance calls.
The justification that I have heard is that sometimes the ambulance crews need physical assistance.
Lubbock uses “fox trucks”. They are pickup trucks equipped with medical response equipment that can arrive before an ambulance has time to get to the scene. Pickups are faster than ambulances. Ambulances are faster than fire trucks.
In New York city they call them “fly-cars”. Paramedics in sport utility vehicles get to the patient and start rendering care while waiting for an ambulance to transport the patient.
The patient gets faster treatment, the city spends less money handling the call.
We deserve better
Brutus
elpasospeak 
What’s also interesting is that the ambulances and fire trucks both come from the same fire station, in El Paso! So, why is it still necessary to duplicate services? Why not just send one ambulance, and have done with it?
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Well yes, but in El Taxo the POLITICIANS won’t even pay, REFUSE to even put Police on the streets. So how would we expect THEM to buy NEW emergency vehicles? I’m surprised THEY let EMS go out, since El Taxo is such a “Safe city”. Maybe THEY could trade in all the NEW Police vehicles that just sit at the stations, with NO Police to use them? I mean there is ALWAYS another Arena, Court, splash pond, golf course or something to “Re-do” at THEIR ball park. Or why don’t THEY just INCREASE taxes AGAIN?
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Great idea.
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The city and its council have NO interest in saving money. It is just spend spend spend YOUR tax dollars. They need to work within a budget!
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❤❤❤
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Recently I fell from my stairs inside my house and fractured my femur. When called the El Paso emergency response folks showed up immediately with ambulance and fire truck. The two folks manning the ambulance could not have ‘rescued’ me. Pulling leg traction, manipulating a backboard and getting me on the gurney required more than two of those ambulance attendants, one of whom was placing an IV, administering morphine and maintaining contact with emergency room physicians. While I agree a firetruck was not necessary in my case, extra personnel were needed and in other cases I am familiar with, extra personnel were needed for rescue efforts. Pickup trucks or SUV type vehicles may seem a cheaper alternative to a firetruck, they would have to be in addition to the firetruck inventory. Both types of vehicles need proper maintenance, operation, and properly trained staff for all. Maybe moving those firetrucks along with ambulances really is the more efficient method.
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