THE ARLINGTON EMS SYSTEM

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AMERICAN MEDICAL RESPONSE
3701 New York Ave., Suite 140
Arlington, Texas 76014
Phone 682-227-6035

The Arlington Emergency Medical Services system is designed to provide the highest level of care from the moment 9-1-1 is notified until the patient arrives at a hospital. To achieve this, processes are in place that allows all participating agencies to coordinate services and communicate with each other.

The City of Arlington Dispatch Center receives 30,000 requests for emergency medical assistance each year via the 9-1-1 telephone system. So that appropriate emergency resources are quickly dispatched, 9-1-1 calls are received by 9-1-1 call takers who are certified Emergency Medical Dispatchers. When a citizen calls 9 1 1, the call taker asks the caller a short series of standardized questions. Resources are dispatched according to answers the caller provides.

The Arlington Fire Department responds along with the ambulance on most medical emergencies. All fire fighters are trained to the level of either EMT Intermediate or Paramedic. This allows them to provide advanced life support such as placing endotracheal breathing tubes, initiating intravenous access, and administering a selection of treatments for diabetics, persons with chest pain, and victims of sudden cardiac arrest. The Fire Department has 16 stations and a total of 24 response vehicles located throughout Arlington.

American Medical Response (AMR) provides emergency and non-emergency ambulance service to the City of Arlington and is the only ambulance service authorized to pick up patients in the City. AMR became the City’s sole ambulance provider through a rigorous competitive bid process during 2001 which resulted in AMR winning a five year contract with three, one year earned extensions possible. AMR is licensed by the Texas Department of State Health Services as an Advanced Life Support Ambulance Provider. All Arlington ambulances are designated as Mobile Intensive Care Units and are staffed by EMT-Intermediates and Paramedics. Requests for patient care reports should be sent to: American Medical Response, Custodian of Records, P.O. Box 3429, Modesto, CA 95357, 1-800-913-9106.

Fire Department and AMR personnel receive authorization to provide emergency medical care from the Arlington EMS System Medical Director. The Medical Director is a physician who establishes standards and oversees all aspects of medical assessment and care provided by ambulance and fire personnel, 9-1-1 call takers, and dispatch personnel. The Medical Director is a member of the Emergency Physicians' Advisory Board.

The Arlington Emergency Medical Services system can have increasingly positive results with regards to the care provided to the victim once the Arlington Fire Department and American Medical Response arrive to the location. If we can reduce the time period that elapses between the witnessed collapse and the time defibrillation is delivered, more citizens and visitors of Arlington can survive this event.

Public Access Defibrillation programs make the difference in surviving cardiac arrest. When you place a defibrillator in your organization/location and train members in both Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and in the use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), you can change the outcome of a common and deadly event.

Other organizations have joined the City of Arlington’s effort to provide public access to defibrillation. With their help and continued participation, we are making Arlington a city where everyone gets the highest quality of emergency care. The list below includes just a few of the participants:

• Arlington Independent School District
• The University of Texas at Arlington
• The Parks at Arlington
• YMCA
• Six Flags Over Texas
• Hurricane Harbor
• General Motors Corporation.

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