Orlando FL HiRise fire. 12/2/22
- Thread starter Capttomo
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RCL - thanks for the update. Is Orlando FD actually running non certified FF paramedic units now in conjunction with FF/PM units ? If so how many do they have? What brought that about? How long have they had this program? Very interesting! Thanks again. Stay safe happy holidays
Your Welcome. Happy Holidays to you as well.
Last I heard they were running non dual certified and certified rescues. They've had them for a while, very similar to Orange County. I know they have at least 2, 1 in Station 1 and the other in station 2. Basically they are single cert peak units either dual emt, dual medic or 1 of each, that run from like 0700 to 2200ish daily. They have at least 1 extra possibly 2 extra dual certified rescues running as well. Rescues 171 at station 17 and rescue 101 at station 1.
It started years ago, pre covid, like 2010ish i think, when both Orange County and Orlando let the contract with Rural Metro and Health Central, both private transport companies lapse, and started transporting on their own. They were transporting under very very specific circumstances. If i recall, it was due to the budgets,wait times and some other issues. Both departments were experiencing longer and longer wait times for private transport, increasing call load, and some one figured out there was money to be made when they were dropping budgets and closing units, and losing manpower. I took some USAR classes with people from Orl and they were saying they temporarily closed an engine, took 1 person from the heavy, dropped manning, and swapped over to the smaller Mccoy Miller style rescues that are similar to FDNYS at the time. They were running the bigger freightliner style rescues. Both departments have a program in place that within 2 years you have to get your fire standards which is a 460 hour class.
Bulldog
Bulldog
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Actually, isn't this much like FDNY, the medics on the ambulances are not FF certified. This is what these departments appear to be doing. The only difference is they Req the EMT/Medics to become FF certified where is FDNY doesn't as long as they stay attached to the ambulances.
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Bulldog. Yes it is similar - but not here in Florida. The overwhelming majority of EMS systems in Florida are cross trained firefighter/ paramedics on medic units. And a large number of departments also staff cross trained firefighter paramedic ALS engine companies. So on Florida. This model of staffing (FDNY style) is rare
Similar. But different at the same time. Depending on the area in Fl, the departments run their own transport capable rescues, and the crew is dual certified as emt or medic and firefighter. The rescue carries airpacks and minimal hand tools. 99.99999% of the departments here in Fl it's required to be at least an emt/firefighter to even work on an engine or even be hired. Theres a handfull of departments that rely either on a different municipality or even rarer a private transport company. For fire calls, a dept.like Tampa, Hillborough, OC or Orl, they usually send 2 dual cert rescues, as part of a structure response with 1 being assigned to assist in fire ops, the other as a medical standby. 1st in rescue gets to play the other watch. For medical calls, 70 to 80% of the time, an engine and rescue will respond. They operate off the same channels, stations and budgets. Both are part of fire ops for lack of a better term, where NY it's 2 separate divisions that dont mix, with a clear line between them.
What ended up happening, was back in 2010ish 2 private ambulances were providing transport for Orl, Orange County, and several other areas. We were coming out of the recession and someone in Orl and Orange County (Polk EMS merged with Polk Fire around that time, and after the merger with FD all new hires had to be dual certs. Existing crews were grandfathered in and given the opportunity to go to fire school) said we've already got the trucks let's transport. There was a very real concern that wait times would be extended, units wouldn't be available so both depts added peak demand rescues, which were single cert, ( emt or medic)but the crews were required as part of their terms of employment to acquire their fire standards with in 2 years or be terminated.Orlando numbered them PD1. PD2 etc. after their station they were assigned to. Orange County uses triple digit, like medic 100,200 300 up to 500. There was also a shortage of State Certified FFs which didnt help. So the single cert rescues were a stop gap, that also filled a need. And still fill a need. At the same time, additional dual cert rescues were added to existing stations that didn't have 1 over the course of several budget years. They've made changes along the way, usually adding companies or moving them around to suit the needs of the municipality. Im seeing more and more 2nd rescues and even 3rd dual cert rescues in the same station to account for the growth in population. Along with new stations and equipment. You can't throw a rock in central Fl with out hitting a new subdivision or 1 being built. Some depts are barely keeping up with the demand.
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