Emergency Medical Services, more commonly known as EMS, is a system that provides emergency medical care. Once it is activated by an incident that causes serious illness or injury, the focus of EMS is emergency medical care of the patient(s).
But EMS is much more than a ride to the hospital. It is a system of coordinated response and emergency medical care, involving multiple people. Otsego County EMS is a comprehensive system to ensure we are ready every day for every kind of emergency.
OCEMS typically staffs 4 advanced life support (ALS) ambulances during the day and 3 ALS ambulances during the night. Additionally, we also staff a heavy rescue crew 24/7.
Basic Life Support (BLS)
Basic Life Support ambulances are staffed with Emergency Medical Technician (EMT’s). EMT’s perform a patient assessment and basic noninvasive interventions during the course of a transport. Examples of BLS equipment include:
Pulse oximetry
Automatic External Defibrillator (AED)
Glucometer
Bleeding Control
Nebulizer Kits
Advanced Life Support
Advanced Life Support ambulances are staffed with two Paramedics or an EMT and a Paramedic. ALS ambulances respond to emergency and non-emergency requests for transport. Paramedics have a scope of practice which includes:
Intravenous therapy
Cardiac monitoring
Advanced drug administration
Mechanical Ventilators
Infusion Pumps
Heavy Rescue
The Heavy Rescue Technicians specialize in structural collapse, confined space rescue, trench collapse rescue, vehicle extrication and machinery disentanglement and rope rescue.
When responding to a major emergency, Heavy Rescue companies respond providing a rapid and effective rescue response.
The Heavy Rescue response vehicles are fully stocked with the tools and equipment needed to support rescue operations.