The Appleton Fire Department is expanding what it can do for residents in need of emergency medical assistance.
As of July 1, department personnel will provide Advanced Life Services with “high-quality” care, the department said in a news release June 30. Gold Cross Ambulance will still handle ambulance transportation for the city, but fire department personnel will initiate more advanced care within minutes of arrival.
“This is a significant step forward in our mission to serve the people of Appleton,” Appleton Fire Chief Jeremy Hansen said in the release. Upgrading to ALS, he said, “ensures that when seconds count, our crews can deliver critical interventions immediately, before a transporting ambulance arrives.”
The department was recently certified by Wisconsin Department of Health Services as a 911 Non-Transporting Paramedic Provider.
Rashad Alexander can be contacted at ralexander@gannett.com and 920-431-8214.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Appleton Fire Department paramedics to start providing immediate advanced care
Reporting by Rashad Alexander, Appleton Post-Crescent / Appleton Post-Crescent
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