" Potential for Combination of Ambulance and Fire Services in Guernsey.The Steering Group was tasked with investigating all possible options and wanted to understand the potential for the Ambulance and Fire Services to be provided by one fully integrated Ambulance & Fire Service under the control of the States of Guernsey ‟ s Home Department.
Dublin Fire Brigade model is examined in this document .
It is clear from the international comparisons that combined Ambulance & Fire Ser vices can operate
in both metropolitan and rural areas. The degree of amalgamation between Ambulance and Fire
Services appears to be very dependent on the historical development and organisation of emergency
services, along with the characteristics of the communities they serve.
The success of total integration of Emergency Medical and Fire Services has been extensively
documented by the United States. In the US, 51% of Fire Departments provide emergency medical
services and of the 200 largest cities, 97% have Fire Service based emergency medical response.
By offering first responder and patient transportation services, Fire Services include pre-hospital
medical care as part of their commitment to public safety. Literature in support of combining
Emergency Medical and Fire Services also emphasise the strategic advantages and increased levels
of customer service.
The key feature of a Combined Emergency Service is that all personnel are trained not only in
Ambulance care, but also as a Firefighter. These may be found in smaller towns and cities, where
size or budget does not warrant two separate Services. This multi-functionality makes the most of
limited resources or budget and provides a single team to respond to any emergency.
https://gov.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=100558&p=0