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CITY OF SEMINOLE
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CITY OF SEMINOLE FIRE RESCUE
Seminole Fire Rescue Emergency Medical ServicesThe City of Seminole Fire Rescue contracts with Pinellas County to provide Advanced Life Support (ALS) First Responder service to the residents of the Seminole Fire District. The EMS system is set up so that the ALS First Responder, usually fire departments, arrive on the scene stabilize the patient or start EMS procedures, and then the private enterprise ambulance will transport the patient, allowing the First Responder unit to go back in service. There are very few systems in the United States that can compare to Pinellas County 's system. The City of Seminole Fire Rescue operates four ALS engines, one from each of its stations. There is at least one Paramedic on each engine. Of the District's total call volume, EMS calls make up 80% of the total. In calendar year 2002, the department answered 7,793 emergency medical calls. The system practices closest unit dispatch, so it is not unusual to see a unit from Seminole in other jurisdictions if it is the closest ALS unit. Although it is a separate Section, EMS is provided by our personnel who are certified as Firefighter/ EMT's and Firefighter/Paramedics. Maintains employee certification files and processes recertification required by the State of Florida Department of Health. Processes all County certifications as required by the Medical Director. Maintains contracts for service with the Board of County Commissioners and other organization requesting specialized EMS services. Research, purchase and maintenance of EMS supplies and equipment, including maintaining controlled substance requirements set forth by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration. Quality Assurance - The EMS Quality Management Program consists of documentation review, scene observation, skills evaluation, patient outcome and customer satisfaction review for the purposes of recognition of excellence and the identification of processes that can benefit from quality improvement activities. Maintains the quality assurance program as outlined in Florida Statutes Section 401.425. Frequently Asked Questions
Pinellas County Medical Director TrainingThe Training Section is responsible for ensuring that fire department personnel have the skills necessary to mitigate any hazardous condition in a safe and efficient manner. The Training Section develops monthly training programs designed to meet a wide variety of challenges faced by Fire Rescue personnel. The National Fire Protection Agency, OSHA and other state and federal agencies mandate minimum annual training requirements. The Training Section's goal is to exceed those requirements and provide the City of Seminole 's Fire Rescue personnel with the highest level of knowledge and skill possible. The Training Section conducts the research, development and delivery of training programs to address these needs. Various subjects, including classes in hazardous materials and technical rescue, help ensure that firefighters are utilizing the latest technology. Personnel are provided training to maintain certification requirements and meet advanced skill requirements when assuming additional responsibility in their job classification or when testing for a promotion. Officer development, cultural diversity, safety and wellness issues have become an integral part of the Training Section's curriculum. Minimum and Advancement Standards are developed through the Training Section. Incident and department safety coordination, accident investigation, equipment evaluation and procurement, uniform and record maintenance, and research and development are also functions of the Training Section. Training CalendarPosition Descriptions How to Become a FirefighterLinks When I call for an ambulance, why does a fire engine show up? The City of Seminole fire engines are strategically located throughout the community and staffed with fully trained and equipped Paramedics. They respond to treat and stabilize the patient prior to the arrival of the ambulance. In a true medical emergency, the difference between life and death can be a matter of seconds. What does Advanced Life Support (ALS) mean? The Term Advanced Life Support is used to describe advanced equipment and procedures such as cardiac monitoring (including 12 lead ECG's ), cardiac pacing, intravenous access (starting IV's), endotracheal intubation (the placement of a breathing tube into the airway), chest decompressions, and the delivery of life saving medications. What is the difference between an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and a Paramedic? An EMT is trained in basic life support skills (BLS) such as assessment, triage and treatment of medical and trauma patients, Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), the use of Automatic External Defibrillator's ( AED's ), the delivery of oxygen. A Paramedic is trained beyond the BLS level to include advanced skills such as cardiac rhythm interpretation, the application of an external cardiac pacemaker, endotracheal intubation (the placement of a breathing tube), Intravenous (IV) and Intraosseous therapy, the ability to administer various cardiac, respiratory and pain medications. To be certified (or employed) as a Firefighter in the State of Florida, an individual must submit an Application for Certification as a Firefighter, and successfully complete the Firefighter Minimum Standards Course, or have received an equivalent amount of training in another state (or country), and pass the state written and practical examinations, as required by State Statute. The Firefighter Minimum Standards Course is offered at twenty-seven Certified Training Centers located throughout the state. The course consists of a minimum of 360-hours of training. The first 160-hours is equivalent to NFPA Firefighter I. The following 200-hours is equivalent to NFPA Firefighter II. Each training center has their own course and fee schedule. For further information and an Application for Certification as a Firefighter, please contact the training center of your choice. Most employers also require applicants to also be Emergency Medical Technicians ( EMT's ) or Paramedics . The most recent rules require EMT-Basic programs to meet DOE standards and US DOT NSC. Programs consist of a minimum of 110 hours with not less than 20 hours of supervised clinical experience (at least ten of which is spent in a hospital emergency room). Also field experience is required aboard a permitted EMS vehicle resulting in patient transports. Paramedic programs consist of a minimum of 700 hours. Field experience must be done on a permitted ALS vehicle. There are currently 71 state approved EMS training programs . These training programs offer a combination of EMT-Basic and paramedic curricula.
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