EMS Division
Alamo Heights Fire Department is a Licensed EMS provider with the Texas Department of State Health Services. All of our ambulances are licensed as a combination of BLS (Basic Life Support) with Mobile Intensive Care Units (M.I.C.U.) capabilities, which is the highest level for ground transport units in the state. We maintain M.I.C.U. staffed ambulances with firefighter/paramedics within each fire company. Each ambulance carries advanced life support drugs, a cardiac monitor defibrillator, and other advanced EMS equipment to provide the highest level of care when firefighters arrive at the patient's side.
EMS is the highest demand on our service and requires all operations personnel working as a team to provide seamless coverage around the clock for our citizens and visitors. We are proud to maintain an average response time of between 3 and 4 minutes throughout our community. Fire companies are utilized to assist on EMS calls of a serious nature such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, strokes, head injuries, drowning, and serious trauma. We respond to around 1000 EMS incidents per year and transport patients to hospitals in the San Antonio area. Hospital selection is based on patient preference or appropriate facility based on the patient's condition.
Alamo Heights Fire Department EMS personnel are well trained. It takes over two years of school to become a certified paramedic in most cases. Personnel receive additional certification training in area such as ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support), PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support), and PHTLS (Per Hospital Trauma Life Support).
Our Emergency Medical Services is under the medical direction of Dr. Mark Ogden. Our paramedics are very well versed in 12 lead EKG interpretation and advanced pharmacology. Paramedics are able to activate Cardiac Catheterization Lab Teams and Stroke Teams from the field during critical patient encounters.
The Alamo Heights Fire Department strives to provide highest quality emergency medical services to the citizens of Alamo Heights, Terrell Hills, and Olmos Park.
