HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Hillsborough County Fire Rescue is launching a new Peak Rescue Division made up of roving paramedic ambulance crews aimed at improving response times to medical emergencies and transports across the county.
The county said in a press release that the new division will add 48 positions, including 20 rescue lieutenants and 26 paramedics, overseen by a section chief and a training officer. The Peak Rescue Division will operate under the existing Rescue Division and is expected to be up and running by spring 2026. County commissioners approved the new division and the purchase of five new rescue units.
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The new division will field 10 mobile units that will roam instead of posting at fire stations, operating 12 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays. The units will be in service from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., the peak window for emergency call volume.
With the added units, the department expects to reduce its dependence on third-party ambulance providers. Although medical transports are projected to rise, officials say the resulting transport revenue will help offset the cost of operating the new division.
Hillsborough County Fire Rescue tested a five-unit roaming EMS pilot in May 2024 using existing crews to cover peak hours, and officials say it successfully cut response times, in some cases getting units on scene up to two minutes faster than station-based ambulances during high-demand periods.
Has your department tried roaming peak-hour units or similar deployment models to reduce response times? What worked, what didn’t and what advice would you give departments considering a shift like this?
