Hudson’s Hope Fire Rescue will begin providing medical first responder services within the District of Hudson’s Hope on June 23rd 2018. This new service will see District fire fighters assisting BC Ambulance staff in the provision of timely and high-quality pre-hospital care to residents and visitors of our municipality.
Fire department responders are required to complete approximately 40 hours of training, pass written and practical exams prior to receiving their license from the BC Emergency Medical Assistant Licensing Branch, and comply with the Emergency Health Services Act and the Emergency Medical Assistant Regulations. Fire department responders are also bound by the same Code of Ethics as other Emergency Medical Assistants within the province of British Columbia.
There are currently approximately 300 departments in British Columbia providing this service.
First Responders will be endorsed to provide a number of services including:
- Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
- Basic wound and fracture management
- Maintenance of airways and ventilation
- Use of airway management techniques including oropharyngeal airways, oral suction devices and oxygen-supplemented mask devices to assist ventilation
- Use of an automatic or semi-automatic external defibrillator
- Cervical collar application and spinal immobilization on a long spine board
- Administration of oxygen
- Administration of oral glucose
- Emergency childbirth
- Ventilation using pocket mask and bag/valve/mask devices
Fire department responders will always respond in conjunction with BC Ambulance Service, and will be simply another step in the pre-hospital care continuum. First responders will not transport patients, and will be under the direction of BC Ambulance staff when both agencies are on scene.
Contact:
Fred Burrows
Director of Protective Services
Telephone: (250) 783-9901 Ext. 208
Email: fred@hudsonshope.ca
