The Arlington Emergency Medical Services system is designed to provide the highest level of patient care from the moment 9-1-1 is notified until arrival at a local hospital. Arlington’s Emergency Medical Service system is an integration of the resources of the Fire Department and our private ambulance contractor, American Medical Response. The Arlington Fire Department’s First Responder Program dispatches fire apparatus as well as an ambulance on most medical emergencies. All Arlington firefighters are Emergency Medical Technicians certified as either EMT-Intermediates or Paramedics. This high level of training allows them to perform advanced life support skills, including initiating intravenous access for drugs and fluids, inserting endotracheal breathing tubes, and administering medications for a variety of medical conditions. Because of the strategic placement of fire stations throughout the city, firefighters are often the first emergency responders to arrive at the scene of an incident. These highly trained EMS professionals are able to stabilize patients and initiate critical life saving measures prior to the arrival of an ambulance.

American Medical Response (AMR) is the exclusive ambulance service provider in Arlington. As the City’s exclusive ambulance provider, no other ambulance service is allowed to initiate a patient transport in Arlington. AMR became the City’s sole ambulance provider through a rigorous competitive bid process in 2008, which resulted in AMR winning a five year contract with one, three year earned extension and one, two year earned extension possible. AMR Arlington is a CAAS accredited ambulance service (Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services ) . The ambulance contract is a fee-based system, with no taxpayer subsidy paid to AMR. Citizens are offered the opportunity to participate in AMR’s Ready Care subscription program which limits out of pocket expenses for medically necessary transports (AEMS Ready Care). AMR’s fleet of Mobile Intensive Care Unit ambulances operates under a system status management concept, with the number and placement of units determined by continuing analysis of call patterns. A Paramedic and an Emergency Medical Technician staff each MICU. Requests for patient care reports should be sent to: American Medical Response, Custodian of Records, 20101 Hamilton Ave., Suite 300, Torrance, CA 90502, (866) 670-7076.

Fire Department and AMR ambulance 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 City of Arlington Dispatch Center received and processed more than 40,000 requests for emergency medical assistance in 2010 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 Emergency Medical Services system has prioritized the need to promote the increased availability of public access automatic external defibrillators (AED’s) and increasing the number of citizens trained to perform CPR. Scientific studies clearly highlight the importance of reducing the time between the witnessed collapse, the start of effective by-stander CPR and the time defibrillation is delivered in order to increase the survivability of a sudden cardiac arrest.

Rapid initiation of CPR and Public Access Defibrillation (PAD) 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.

Many organizations have joined the City of Arlington’s effort to increase the number of public access defibrillators 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 PAD AED 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.
  • As of January 2012, there are more than 370 registered PAD AED’s located throughout the City.

Health And Safety Officer

Reports directly to the BC, Medical Operations. Subject matter expert on all health & safety issues. Performs research and policy analysis related to those issues.

Responsible for coordinating all aspects of employee health and safety, including:

  • Annual fitness evaluations & medical examinations
  • Vaccinations and infection control
  • Injury, accident and exposure reporting
  • Workers Compensation claims
  • Fleet vehicle accident and equipment damage investigations
  • Chairs the OSH Committee
  • Assists the AC Fire/Rescue with operational issues
  • Drug & Alcohol testing