Trending Topics

Calif. FD places ALS squad in high call volume area

The Kern County Fire Department designed Medic Squad 42 for rapid use and resupply

The Bakersfield Californian

KERN COUNTY, Calif. — The new Medic Squad 42 apparatus was put into service Wednesday, replacing a temporary vehicle to serve an area of east Bakersfield that gets more than 5,000 emergency calls annually, according to the Kern County Fire Department.

Medic Squad 42, which began operating Jan. 12, is the third KCFD unit of its kind. It is assigned to Station 42.

It is staffed by a firefighter paramedic and a fire captain to provide 24-hour Advanced Life Support coverage, “enhancing the department’s ability to deliver critical pre-hospital care while ensuring surrounding stations remain available for additional emergencies,” KCFD said in a news release.

Measure K funds have allowed the department to increase ALS staffing with 13 additional paramedics in unincorporated areas of the county.

© 2025 The Bakersfield Californian (Bakersfield, Calif.)
Visit www.bakersfield.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Trending
First responders in Berks County took part in specialized training designed to help recognize autism-related behaviors, communicate more effectively and reduce the risk of escalation during critical emergency calls
Jaffrey-Rindge Memorial Ambulance had threatened to stop responding in Rindge if it didn’t receive $27,000 it said it was owed and secure a 2026 cost agreement
Providers say fear, not illness, is keeping patients away, with some rationing medication or skipping specialist visits to avoid potential encounters with federal agents
If approved, the referendum would increase a $140,630 home’s annual Sublette fire district tax from $68.09 to $182.95 and a $225,450 home’s bill from $142.62 to $383.23