By Tanya Eiserer
The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS — A Dallas Fire-Rescue pilot project that eventually could overhaul how the stretched-thin department responds to medical emergencies is scheduled to start Jan. 1.
Fire officials believe the program — primarily focused in the city’s southern sector — will reduce response times, save money and improve the medical service provided to patients.
Currently, when a person calls 911 with a medical emergency, an ambulance is dispatched regardless of the severity of the call. Under the new program, the department would still send emergency medical personnel to minor calls in those areas, but first responders would not be equipped to take the patient to the hospital, according to a briefing presented Monday to the Dallas City Council’s public safety committee.
The council has set aside $484,000 to staff and equip the program for the current fiscal year. Officials said they plan to evaluate the pilot project after 90 days. If it is successful, the department will ask the city for additional funding to expand it.
Fire officials said they are trying to meet the changing demands of the community. Roughly six in 10 of the department’s calls are for medical help, and under the current system, a patient with a stubbed toe is given the same priority as someone having a stroke.
“It has become more medical social services on wheels,” said Dr. Marshal Isaacs, the department’s director of emergency medical services. “911 is the safety net for the community. We want to maintain that safety net. It is just the first step in making more efficient use of our resources.”
Fire officials said the current system results in the department’s ambulances being tied up on calls that aren’t life-threatening.
For the pilot project, the department chose five fire stations in the southern sector where calls often didn’t result in a trip to the hospital. Those five stations will each have a fire engine staffed with at least two paramedics. They will respond to any 911 call in their area.
If the call indicates that an ambulance may be required, one will be sent. The average response time for an engine is just over four minutes, compared with about 5 1/2 minutes for an ambulance.
“I would hope that we could really make a difference in getting advanced life support to the location quicker. The clock is ticking when you have a heart attack, and it’s not in your favor,” said Deputy Chief Bobby D. Ross, who heads the department’s emergency medical services division.
The department also is staffing rapid-response units at one station in the northern sector and one in the southern sector with two paramedics each to respond to minor medical emergency calls. The EMS-equipped sport utility vehicles will be in service from noon to 3 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.