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Va. city adds two medic units to meet advanced life support goal

Fredericksburg’s City Council set a priority in 2014 to establish around-the-clock advanced medical service to address the burden of increased medical calls

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The two ALS medic teams and vehicles will be available to respond to 911 medical calls.

Photo/Fredericksburg Fire Department

By Cathy Jett
The Free Lance-Star, Fredericksburg, Va.

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. — The City of Fredericksburg will take an important step forward in emergency services Tuesday when advanced life support will be fully operational, with two medic units providing emergency medical response any time of the day or night.

The two ALS medic teams and vehicles will be available to respond to 911 medical calls.

“It is rewarding to open this expanded emergency medical care to our citizens, businesses and visitors,” said Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw. “This is a significant advance for the city and the well-being of the public we serve.”

Advanced life support is the highest level of service in emergency medicine in terms of staff training, certification and the equipment available to treat medical emergencies.

Fredericksburg’s City Council set a priority in 2014 to establish around-the-clock advanced medical service to address the burden of increased medical calls and approved funding for more staff and equipment.

“As our population grows, so grows the volume of calls we have for medical emergencies,” said Fire Chief Eddie Allen. “We are grateful we have the support of the City Council to move ahead with two ALS medic units and staff in full operation.”

In the fiscal year that ended June 30, the city’s 911 center received 5,623 calls for medical assistance. On 283 of those calls, all of the city’s units were busy, so Stafford County was called to provide mutual-aid assistance.

The Fire Department will host an open house at Fire Station 1 at 601 Princess Anne St. at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. A new medic unit will be on site for touring, EMS will demonstrate capabilities of the unit’s equipment and Greenlaw and Allen will lead a short informational ceremony.

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©2019 The Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, Va.)

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