A Paramedic is a person that usually works outside the hospital to provide initial medical treatment in the event of illness or injury.  Paramedics work with many other professionals, such as firefighters, rescue workers, police, nurses, doctors and others, in order to provide treatment and stabilization to those in crisis.  The paramedic is usually an extension of the doctor’s knowledge and skill.  This means that the paramedic carries out examinations and treatments when a doctor is not available.  There must be a high level of trust between the paramedic and the doctor.

No.  However, county emergency agencies have access to and use the helicopter services managed by three different area air-medical providers, MedFlight, AirEvac and LifeFlight.  These agencies are typically used when a specialty hospital is necessary for a patient’s medical needs.  For example, the patient may require the services of a designated trauma hospital or a heart or stroke hospital.  Through a cooperative effort, the emergency service agencies in the county are well trained to designate safe landing sites at emergency scenes so that the air-medical crews can provide rapid transport to those Columbus area specialty hospitals.

It is essential for your home to be clearly marked so that emergency responders can find it with little difficulty. Make sure that your house number is clearly visible from the road and large enough to be seen at night. Turn on an outside light after you call. If possible, have someone meet the paramedics outside to direct them in. Remember, although we try to pre-plan in many neighborhoods, we usually have not been to YOUR home before and are not as familiar with it as you are!

Delaware County EMS has ten (10) ALS level ambulances, or what we call “Medics,” in-service 24-hours every day, 365 days per year.

When you dial 9-1-1 either on your home phone or your cell phone, your call is instantly routed to the Delaware County Emergency Communication Center. There, dedicated emergency dispatchers will quickly gather the information they need to send the appropriate help, whether it be medical, fire or law enforcement, to your emergency. These dispatchers are also trained in the latest techniques in professional “computer aided dispatching” and pre-arrival instructions for police, medical and fire emergencies to assist you in what to do while you wait the few minutes for EMS, firefighters or the police to arrive.

Yes, you certainly can. Visit our Education & Training page, and learn more about our Community Training opportunities, or if you are a health care provider, see what there is that would be beneficial in our Professional Development course schedule.

Due to the location of different Delaware County EMS Stations and the different Township fire stations, often times a fire department unit will be dispatched as a “first responder.” Some medical emergencies require more manpower than others, too. These fire department personnel are trained to handle the emergency until an EMS unit arrives or to provide the manpower assistance necessary to handle the emergency. Often times fire department members are trained to the level of Paramedic. The advantage of this “first responder” system is a reduction in the time before emergency help arrives at your side.

Reflective striping is required around all four sides of an emergency vehicle. The United States Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration has released a standard on “Uniform Traffic Control Devices” that dictate what color combinations, angle of striping, percentage of coverage, and percent of reflectivity must be gained. We’ve added additional reflectivity on the back of our vehicles to prevent the most deadly of accidents for emergency responders! The Chevrons we use are 3M DG 4000 High Intensity Striping, and are installed in accordance with NFPA 1901 – Automotive Fire Apparatus Standard – 2003.

If you would like to speak with someone personally about your experience, we would welcome the opportunity to speak with you. Please contact Chief’s office at 740-833-2190. He, or one of the Command Staff, will get back with you right away!

Delaware County EMS frequently provides dedicated coverage to events within the county. If your function requires ambulance coverage, please contact the Chief at 740-833-2190.

Personnel are always available to speak with organizations and small groups. To schedule a talk with yours, contact Delaware County EMS at 740-833-2190.