
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 27, 1991                   TAG: 9102270419
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER MUNICIPAL WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

FIREFIGHTERS TO RESPOND FIRST TO SOME MEDICAL RESCUE CALLS

Roanoke will begin using firefighters Friday to answer emergency rescue calls in the Garden City and Deyerle Road neighborhoods because emergency medical crews cannot respond within the city's eight-minute standard.

Firefighters in stations on Bennington Street Southeast and Aerial Way Drive Southwest will provide medical help until more highly trained rescue personnel arrive.

The firefighters, who recently have been trained as emergency medical technicians, will reduce response times by up to five minutes, city officials said.

"That can help save lives," said David Hoback, deputy emergency services coordinator.

Emergency services officials have been planning the so-called "first responder" program for more than a year, and funds for it were included in the current budget. Monday night, officials briefed City Council on how the program will operate.

Wanda Reed, emergency services manager, said response times in the Garden City and Deyerle Road areas have been averaging about 9.8 minutes. The average response time citywide is 5.9 minutes, she said.

When calls are received, both firefighters and emergency medical crews will be dispatched. Firefighters will return to their stations once the medical crews arrive.

Reed said 22 firefighters have received 150 hours of training to qualify them to respond to medical emergencies.

If there are emergency and fire calls at the same time, firefighters will respond to the fire calls because fire protection remains their first responsibility, she said.

But, "We don't believe their response to emergency medical calls will overtax their capability," she said.

Reed said firefighters also will be used to answer emergencies in the U.S. 460 corridor area in Northeast Roanoke after construction of a fire station there is finished.

Firefighters volunteered for the emergency rescue program, and will receive a monthly stipend for participating. The city has paid overtime for the training classes and will provide the needed equipment.

The program will cost $54,500 in the first year.

To help finance the program and improvements in emergency medical services, the city is billing for the portion of the cost for responding to calls that is not paid by insurance companies.

by CNB