May 19, 2013
Captain Nancy Herndon is one of 29 paramedics in the Tallahassee Fire Department. But she can't always use her medical training.
“We arrive on scene many times before ambulance service and once on scene, we can provide basic life support,” says Herndon.
But if the patient needs advanced life support, advanced life support like IV's or chest tubes he or she has to wait for an ambulance.
Leon county commissioners want the city fire department to be ALS certified.
County leaders say response times are "already" much better in the city the long wait is in rural areas. They say putting advanced life support in rural areas is at least a start.
So paramedics like Nancy Herndon might put their training to use instead of to waste.
City and county negotiations over complete ambulance service fell apart over money. The county now plans to start its own service.
