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The Arvada Fire Department answers all calls for Emergency Medical Services within our response boundaries. We provide the initial response to stabilize the patient prior to the arrival of the ambulance. The standard of care at the AFPD is currently at the Emergency Medical Technician - Basic (EMT-B) level. Many of our firefighters have additional EMS certifications and training for IV therapy, reading EKG’s, and others. Several firefighters are certified at the more advanced levels, including EMT-Intermediate and EMT- Paramedic. The AFPD provides EMS under the guidance of our Physician Advisor, Dr. Nils Albert, MD. Our base hospital is Exempla Lutheran Medical Center (ELMC) in Wheat Ridge. ELMC also provides monthly Continuing Medical Education (CME) for all AFPD providers. This training is coordinated by Mr. Ron Quaife, NREMT-P. All front line AFPD apparatus are equipped with the following EMS equipment: * Oxygen and BLS airway / resuscitation equipment * Bandaging / Splinting and Irrigating supplies * Spinal Immobilization equipment * Obstetrical kit * Biohazard protective gear
The countershock has been found to be an effective treatment to restore normal cardiac function in cases where the normal heart rhythm has deteriorated into an irregular and non-productive state. One of these types of rhythms is called Ventricular Fibrillation. This is where the term “De-Fibrillator” comes from because it is designed to stop the abnormal fibrillation. We also carry specialized rescue equipment to deal with vehicle accidents and other situations where a victim is trapped and requires extrication. AFPD firefighters are trained to perform rescue / extrication with many types of state of the art tools. Our complement of tools includes the famous “Jaws of Life”. The health and welfare of the community is supported in many ways by the AFPD apart from responding to emergencies. Our stations conduct blood pressure check as a public service. We also provide CPR and first aid trainings such as at our citizens academy. AFPD also provides public education programs on safety topics. AFPD firefighters participate in the 9 Health Fair and hold activities for the public for such events as the annual EMS Week.
Quality service is critically important to us. The AFPD has an active EMS Process Improvement Team. This team evaluates the quality of all aspects of our medical service delivery.
Emergency Medical links: Exempla Luthern Medical Center EMS classes Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Denver Metro Paramedic Protocols
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AFPD units respond equipped with Automatic external Defibrillators (AED). This system is a portable device that is utilized to analyze the cardiac rhythm of a cardiac arrest victim. The AED then decides if it is appropriate to deliver a coutershock.
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