EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES OVERVIEW
The Santa Clara County Fire Department provides first response Advanced Life Support (ALS) Paramedic level services to Unincorporated Santa Clara County, Campbell, Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, and Saratoga. An Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Coordinator and a Firefighter Engineer Paramedic who report to the Battalion Chief of Operations facilitates the delivery of high quality, effective patient care. The District operates 19 fully equipped ALS fire apparatus daily all staffed with a minimum of one Paramedic and two Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT). The Department maintains a Santa Clara County EMS Multi-Casualty Incident (MCI) supply trailer for large-scale emergency medical incidents and is a participant in Master Mutual Aid in the event of major disasters.
The Departments EMS division is an active participant in the Santa Clara County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) System – Participating in many of the EMS subcommittees and sits as a representative on the EMS subsection of the Santa Clara County Fire Chiefs Association. The State of California’s EMS Authority has recognized the department as a Continuing Education Provider for both Paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians.
The District is a participant in Santa Clara County’s Electronic EMS patient care record (PCR) system. The software is programmed to capture patient data upon receipt of a 9-1-1 call and provides enhanced capabilities for monitoring and evaluating patient care. The Department is committed to the protection of an individual’s private patient healthcare information and maintains a comprehensive Privacy Practices Policy.
Santa Clara County EMS has a contract with a third party ambulance transport provider for the ground transport of all patients. The delivery of exceptional EMS in a partially rural area involves the utilization of ALS helicopter service providers. The Department routinely works with the various transport providers in order to rapidly transport critical patients from all locations to definitive care. Some areas covered by the department are so remote that an ALS helicopter is part of the initial EMS dispatch. The Department conducts extensive in-service training on a routine basis to insure the most up to date EMS skills, procedures, and practices are implemented and delivered to the citizens and visitors of Santa Clara County.
Click here to request an Emergency Medical Services Incident Report.
