[Scan-DC] Mogo Ambulance 86 and Ambulance 257

[Alan Henney]

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service


Tom Carr, Fire Chief
Executive Office Building, 101 Monroe St, 12th Floor, Rockville, MD
20850

    CONTACT: Pete Piringer, Public Information Officer
     240.777.2474 – Media Hotline – 240.777.2442

IMMEDIATE RELEASE:   October 17, 2006

Montgomery County Expands Emergency Medical Services Capabilities
EMS Transport ‘Flex Units’ Placed In Service

  On October 15th, 2006, the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service
(MCFRS) placed several additional emergency medical services (EMS)
transport capable units in service.  Called “flex units” these
additional EMS units will initially be assigned to the Gaithersburg
area and Bel Pre/Aspen Hill area of the County and will supplement
existing fire and rescue resources.

  The first ‘flex units’ being placed in service are at Fire Station 8
(Gaithersburg - Washington Grove), Ambulance 86 and Fire Station 25
(Bel Pre/Aspen Hill), Ambulance 257.  Units will operate for 12 hour
shifts between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. each day of the week.  Statistically,
11 a.m. until 5 p.m. is the busiest time of the day for medical
responses and the 12-hour period from 8 a.m. through 8 p.m.
experiences the overall highest call volume.  Friday is the busiest
call volume day of the week followed by Tuesday, Monday and Wednesday,
Saturday and Thursday.  Sunday is typically the slowest day of the
week for medical type of calls.  The ‘flex units’ will be in service 7
days a week from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.

  It is anticipated as the fleet of Montgomery County EMS units is
expanded, additional funding is received or a redistribution of
staffing resources occurs, additional ‘flex units’ may be placed in
service in the Silver Spring and Rockville areas at Fire Station 19
and Fire Station 23, respectively.
2 – Flex Units
  The basic mission of the MCFRS ‘flex units’ is to provide additional
EMS transport capability during peak call volume times with a focus in
the busiest geographical regions of the county in terms of medical
response call volume.  Providing additional transport capacity, will
allow the Advanced Life Support (ALS) or paramedic transport units to
be more effectively utilized for serious life threatening emergency
calls.

  The ‘flex units’ will generally operate out of the geographical
regions assigned, such as Gaithersburg/Germantown, Aspen Hill, Silver
Spring, and Rockville.  Since these areas statistically experience the
highest peak emergency call volumes, these ‘flex units’ will
ordinarily remain centrally located for that reason, however from time
to time may be relocated temporarily to accommodate specific and more
immediate county-wide operational needs.

  Fire Station 8 (FS8) is the busiest fire and rescue station in
Montgomery County and one of the busiest in the State of Maryland.
Last year, units from FS8 responded to over 15,000 calls for service.
In addition to the Flex Unit (A86), the fire station is staffed with
three (3) other EMS units (A87, A88 and Medic 89), as well as with an
engine (pumper) and aerial tower.  Fire Station 25 (FS25) is one of
the top three busiest fire and rescue stations in Montgomery County.
Last year fire and rescue units from FS25 responded to over 11,000
calls for service.  FS25 is staffed with and engine (pumper) and
aerial truck, plus two EMS units (A258 and Medic 259), in addition to
the new ‘Flex Unit’ (A257).

  The Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) is a full
spectrum life safety agency protecting nearly 1 million people who
live and work in Maryland’s most populous jurisdiction.  Under the
direction of a County Fire Chief, the MCFRS is a combination system
(career/volunteer), operating with a budget of about $180 million,
comprised of nearly 1200 career uniformed personnel and professional
civilian staff and an equal number of volunteers, nearly half of whom
are actively involved in emergency response.  Annually, Montgomery
County Fire and Rescue Service first responders are called to assist
on over 100,000 emergency incidents.  About 75 percent of all
responses are medical (EMS) or rescue incidents.