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
Get your name out there by creating content for EMS publications and websites
FDNY leaders said crews were trying to reach trapped workers when the explosion occurred, killing one civilian and injuring 29 firefighters and four EMS personnel
More than 20% of 911 calls to Columbia and Richland County were abandoned before operators answered, raising concerns about staffing shortages and emergency response delays
The bill would raise state income tax credits for active volunteer firefighters and ambulance corps members and allow them to receive local property tax exemptions