Fire Department in California Considers Single-Paramedic Response System

LONG BEACH, Calif. — As the Long Beach Fire Department struggles to find fat to trim after years of reductions, officials are considering putting a single paramedic on each responding vehicle instead of running two-paramedic teams.

Fire command staff and city officials are presenting the switch as a way to shorten response times by requiring fewer paramedics in the system, cutting more than $1 million in spending as required in the proposed fiscal year 2013 budget.

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No-Bid Ambulance Contract Riles Henry County (KY)

Henry County officials have approved a transition to a private EMS provider, leaving some residents and emergency responders with concerns.
Paramedics with man on stretcher in ambulance, showing low angle view.

Most NY First Responders Experience Mental Health Challenges, Survey Finds

A survey of more than 6,000 first responders in New York found most experience stress, while others have dealt with anxiety and burnout due to their professions.