What Level Of Medical Care Does The Somers Ambulance Provide?

By: Amy Drouin, EMT-D/Fire Fighter

The Somers Vol. Fire Dept. and Ambulance Division currently provides Basic Life Support at the EMT-D level.  There are several important differences between the Basic Life Support that we give, and the Advanced life support that we can request to any emergency scene.

The Somers EMTs can perform the following medical care as Basic Life Support providers:

·         Control life-threatening situations, such as maintaining an open airway, keeping the lungs and heart working, controlling accessible bleeding, treating shock, and caring for poison cases.

·         Handle Non-life threatening conditions that require stabilization before transport such as dressing and bandaging wounds, splinting fractures and dislocations, delivering babies, and dealing with the psychological stress of the patient, family members, neighbors and colleagues.

Sometimes we are faced with life threatening emergencies that require Advanced Life support providers whom are Paramedics and EMT-I technicians.   We are trained, as basic EMTs to recognize these emergencies and call in these medical personnel.

Advanced Life Support personnel are called EMT-P (Paramedics)

      These medical providers utilize specific life-saving skills which include:

1.  All of the EMT-D level skills

2.  Use of drugs for life threatening allergic reactions

3.  Use of advanced airway techniques to maintain an open airway

4.  Use of advanced heart monitors for heart distress patients

5.  Administering various medications via IV (Intravenous)

A few examples are:

·         various heart condition medications

·         plasma solution for patients with extensive fluid loss to treat shock.

·         In addition to IV medications, they can administer breathing treatments for severe asthmatic patients

EMT-I  (Intermediate)

1.  Perform the EMT-D level of care

2.  administer plasma solution for patients with extensive fluid loss to treat shock.

3.  Administer drugs for life threatening allergic reactions

The Paramedics are not always available when we call for them, however, the Somers volunteer EMTs will provide the best possible patient care at a basic life support level 24 hours a day.

If you have any questions regarding this information, please contact our Chief, William Meier at 860-749-7626.