Question: Why do fire trucks respond on EMS alarms (i.e., medical calls)?

Answer: Lincoln Fire Department is licensed through the State of Illinois Department of Public Health as a Basic Life Support agency. Lincoln Firefighters are the first responders that provide life saving actions such as CPR, defibrillation, and airway stabilization. They can also administer basic medications for chest pain, difficulty breathing, asthma, and anaphylactic shock. When 9-1-1 is called, Logan Dispatch sends a Lincoln Fire Unit and an advanced life support ambulance from the Logan County Paramedics Association. This tiered system utilizes both agencies to provide a rapid and effective method of caring for and treating persons with all types of medical emergencies.

Due to legal obligations and agreements through Logan Dispatch, Lincoln firefighters and fire trucks will continue to respond on EMS alarms and provide life saving services to our community.

These guidelines are established by the medical system we are associated with: SAMIC (the Springfield Area Mobile Intensive Care System). Our system’s hospitals are Memorial Medical Center and St. John’s Hospital in Springfield. SAMIC’s Operational policy manual states that a non-transport agency (the Lincoln Fire Department) will be notified to provide initial response and support to the transport agency (the Logan County Paramedics Association).