The simple facts are: an EMS call for service can almost always be handled by 2-4 people. The cost of failing to handle the request in a timely manner is almost always an inconvenience to ONE person (90% of EMS calls don’t require immediate intervention). At worst, an EMS system failure results in the death of one person. Unfortunate, but not a PUBLIC emergency.

A Fire call for service cannot legally be handled by fewer than 4 people, and generally requires the immediate service of 15 people. Double that for urban style buildings. A response failure by the Fire Department can result in the loss of one or more blocks worth of private property and PUBLCI infrastructure: food stores, utility buildings, employers. This makes it a PUBLIC emergency. Furthermore, a failure in fire response can easily result in multiple fatalities.

So, even though 75% of a fire department’s responses may be for medical calls, medical calls do not represent 75% of a fire department’s raison d’etre.

What a great article. Very true and concise.