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Sprint 9
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Shreveport Fire Chief Brian Crawford’s trying out an alternative to sending fire engines to medical emergencies he says has the potential to save the city hundreds of thousands of dollars while improving its service. Since the Fire Department took over emergency medical services in 1984, it’s dispatched a fire engine to accompany ambulances to every medical emergency — big or small. More than 75 percent of the calls the department receives have nothing to do with fires; and at about two miles per gallon, there’s a lot of wasted gas and unnecessary wear and tear on those $500,000 fire engines, according to Crawford. “Those fire trucks were never designed to make 3,000 calls a year.” So the fire chief pulled a 2002 Ford Excursion out of retirement and put the smaller, faster and more maneuverable vehicle into service at Fire Station 9 on St. Vincent Avenue, the busiest fire station in the state. “It is the future of fire-based EMS.” Crawford said he presented the idea, borrowed from San Antonio, when he interviewed for fire chief. And “that was something I tasked him with when I made him chief,” Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover said of Crawford’s appointment to the post in July 2008. Single Paramedic Rapid Intervention Non-Transport (SPRINT) 9 now is in the trial stage. Friday was its first full day in service, and it made a total of 15 calls in Shreveport’s Cedar Grove neighborhood with no issues, said Fred Sanders, assistant to the fire chief. “It looks like it’s going to be a really positive piece of equipment,” paramedic Barbara Sellers said of SPRINT 9 after responding to a few calls in the vehicle for the first time Saturday. “So far, so good.” The non-transport unit, a fire battalion chief’s vehicle put in reserve after racking up 100,000 miles, responds to all medical emergencies where there is no fire potential. That means no vehicle crashes. While keeping staffing levels constant, Crawford juggled his employees a bit to ensure the captain of ladder truck 9 on all three shifts is a paramedic. Shreveport Fire Chief Brian Crawford’s trying out an alternative to sending fire engines to medical emergencies he says has the potential to save the city hundreds of thousands of dollars while improving its service. Since the Fire Department took over emergency medical services in 1984, it’s dispatched a fire engine to accompany ambulances to every medical emergency — big or small. More than 75 percent of the calls the department receives have nothing to do with fires; and at about two miles per gallon, there’s a lot of wasted gas and unnecessary wear and tear on those $500,000 fire engines, according to Crawford. “Those fire trucks were never designed to make 3,000 calls a year.” So the fire chief pulled a 2002 Ford Excursion out of retirement and put the smaller, faster and more maneuverable vehicle into service at Fire Station 9 on St. Vincent Avenue, the busiest fire station in the state. “It is the future of fire-based EMS.” Crawford said he presented the idea, borrowed from San Antonio, when he interviewed for fire chief. And “that was something I tasked him with when I made him chief,” Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover said of Crawford’s appointment to the post in July 2008. Single Paramedic Rapid Intervention Non-Transport (SPRINT) 9 now is in the trial stage. Friday was its first full day in service, and it made a total of 15 calls in Shreveport’s Cedar Grove neighborhood with no issues, said Fred Sanders, assistant to the fire chief. “It looks like it’s going to be a really positive piece of equipment,” paramedic Barbara Sellers said of SPRINT 9 after responding to a few calls in the vehicle for the first time Saturday. “So far, so good.” The non-transport unit, a fire battalion chief’s vehicle put in reserve after racking up 100,000 miles, responds to all medical emergencies where there is no fire potential. That means no vehicle crashes. While keeping staffing levels constant, Crawford juggled his employees a bit to ensure the captain of ladder truck 9 on all three shifts is a paramedic. (2 of 2) “When an EMS call comes in, (the captain and engineer from ladder truck 9) grab a preassigned firefighter from either engine 9 or rescue 9 to make the run,” the fire chief explained. “Say they take the firefighter from engine 9, well, four people were assigned to it, so it’s in operation, only leaving ladder 9 out of commission.” And if they’d made the run in a fire truck, whatever equipment they traveled in would be unavailable to make a call. “There have been times when we’ve been on an EMS run and a good, working fire comes and we’re tied up,” fire Capt. Gerald Newson, said. The 27-year member of the department said he’s “excited about (SPRINT 9) because it’s going to cut down on the wear and tear” on his fire engine. “This piece of equipment provides better and more efficient service at a significant cost decrease to the city,” Crawford said. He bulleted off the following as evidence: n More fuel efficient. In 2009, the Fire Department spent $700,000 on fuel. -- As much as double the lifespan (from five years to 10 years) of the $500,000 fire engines. (The city replaced four in 2001, five in 2005 and nine are in need of replacement.) -- Leaves the fire engine available to respond to fires. -- Guarantees there will be a paramedic on board. The fire engine is staffed with an emergency medical technician but not necessarily a paramedic. -- Less money spent on maintenance, repairs and parts. If the trial is as successful as in San Antonio, Crawford hopes to alleviate the strain on his three busiest fire engines (1, 9 and 16) by 2011. This would require the city to approve the purchase of three SUV-type vehicles (at about $25,000 apiece) and buy equipment for two of the three vehicles ($50,000 to equip each), he said. “You find it within the fire budget,” Glover said. Significant cuts to the Fire Department’s operating budget for 2009 and carried into 2010 leave Crawford with little wiggle room to find the $175,000 needed. “The whole program is self-sustaining and would pay for itself. But there are always initial startup costs.” The pilot program is intended to evince the financial impact of SPRINT 9 and convince City Council members of the importance of approving the vehicle purchases, Crawford said. |
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