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Navy Yard shooting: Fire and EMS preparedness called into question

A total of 9 emergency response units were downgraded from advanced life support status due to no paramedic on board

WASHINGTON — The D.C. Firefighters Union said a total of 9 emergency response units were downgraded from advanced life support status to basic life support during the Navy Yard shooting.

WUSA9 reported that there were no paramedics on board those units, which means the personnel on board could only provide minimal emergency care on the scene. Medic units 7, 8, 27, 30, 19, 24 and 31 were all downgraded, according to the report. Engines 20 and 31 were also downgraded and didn’t have a medic on board, according to the report.

It’s unclear how many units responded to the scene of the massacre, according to the report.