APPLETON — The Appleton Fire Department is expanding its emergency medical capabilities with a new paramedic service.
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Starting July 1, the department will operate as a certified non-transporting paramedic provider, significantly increasing the level of medical assistance firefighters can deliver before the ambulance arrives.
"It'll definitely enhance what we can provide the community and that's one of our goals and one of our missions that we provide the community with exceptional pre-hospital care," Appleton Fire Chief Jeremy Hansen said.
Previously, Appleton firefighters were EMT certified, limiting them to administering only five medications and performing basic procedures like CPR, defibrillation, and clearing airways.
With the new certification, fire department paramedics can now administer over 20 medications, surgically open airways, and even use heart monitors to diagnose heart attacks.
The Appleton Fire Department receives around 5,400 calls annually requiring emergency medical services. Fire Chief Hansen says this new equipment will significantly help with over 1,000 of those emergencies.
The department already has 35 paramedic-trained firefighters who can now fully utilize their skills.
"There are times where they know what the next step is, a lot of them have [been] paramedics for a long time, so they know the next step but they haven't been able to do that because we're not licensed at that level. So bringing them up to that paramedic level allows them to use their full skill set," Homman said.
Appleton is one of the last fire departments in the Fox Cities to receive this certification. Little Chute, Kaukauna, Oshkosh and Green Bay are all already certified with similar equipment.
The department's goal is to have at least one paramedic on every emergency response vehicle when the new equipment and procedures take effect July 1.
