EMS Overview

Life safety is our number one priority no matter what the call, and like most modern fire and rescue organizations, more than 80% of the calls received by Station 11 are related to the provision of emergency medical services at some level. Thus, all of our apparatus carry EMS equipment and the majority of our members are at least EMT-B certified. All Prince William County Dept. of Fire and Rescue (PWCDF&R) employees are also certified as EMTs and firefighters. While any member can train and work as just an EMT, many Stonewall Jackson VFD&RS members are certified and active as both firefighters and EMT-Basic's at a minimum. In an effort to make service seamless, the volunteer departments are gradually implementing a uniform rank structure. Eventually all members will have to be Firefighter II - EMTs as a minimum.

The EMS Career

Like firefighters, members don't obtain their EMT certification and begin treating and transporting patients. There is a career ladder for EMS. Ambulance Aide - The new EMS Provider starts as an ambulance aide, riding in the back of the unit and assisting their officer with patient care. Time spent as an aide gives the member a solid knowledge base to launch their career in EMS. Ambulance Driver - The next rung on the EMS ladder is to become an ambulance driver. The aide attends an Emergency Vehicle Operators Course and then practices driving on calls. Maturity and confidence are key elements to this step. Ambulance Officer - After obtaining an EMT-B certification, the provider moves into training to ride as the officer on the ambulance. Tremendous patient care skills are a must, as well as the ability to manage a crew. Medic Officer - After gaining experience as an ambulance officer and obtaining certification as a Cardiac Technician or Paramedic, the member progresses through an internship during which they learn and practice all of the ALS protocols. Upon completion of the internship, they receive their very own drug box key and are cut loose as an ALS provider.

The EMS Team

The EMS team, not merely a particular unit, is responsible for saving lives. Though outfitted similarly, the fact that the crew qualifications are different means that the functions of the ambulance and medic units are different. The ambulance is a Basic Life Support Unit, responsible for providing basic care to injured and sick persons. They are limited to splinting, bandaging, and providing oxygen and some of the patients' prescribed medications to patients. The level of care may be lower than a cardiac technician or paramedic, but the skills are no less essential. As the title says, these EMTs provide the basics of life. Whenever a medic unit goes out, an ambulance goes with them. The ambulance crew utilizes their BLS skills to maintain airways and attend to injuries. The medic, or ALS crew, is then free to provide a higher level of care, particularly cardiac care. They can provide a number of drugs and fluid resuscitation through IV administration. And, in life threatening emergencies, and when rapid transport to a specialized care facility is necessary, the medevac helicopter comes into play. We are fortunate to have not only great specialized hospitals available to our patients, but excellent flight crews and helicopters from Air Care, MedStar, and even University of Virginia Hospital's Pegasus as members of our EMS team.