Excerpts from RRStar.com:
Fire departments, much like social service agencies, are working to reduce the need for their own services. While municipalities often require smoke detectors in new homes, many fire departments offer free ones to residents of older homes and conduct inspections to spot potential fire risks. In new commercial buildings, especially high-rises, overhead sprinklers are now mandatory. Even the number of wildfires sparked by discarded cigarettes has dropped by 90% according to the U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station.
The overall result is a significant decline in fires across the country. Rockford is no exception. In 2014, the city saw 638 structure and non-structure fires, a 20% decrease from 796 in 2005. Despite this drop, the Rockford Fire Department has seen an annual increase in call volume of about 3%. Of the 26,010 calls last year, only 2.45% were related to actual fires—while 80% were for EMS or search and rescue operations.
This growing demand is largely driven by the aging Baby Boomer population. Between January 1 and September 30, 2014, 20 individuals made 192 emergency room visits at SwedishAmerican Hospital. To address this, the Rockford Fire Department partnered with the hospital on a pilot program called Mobile Integrated Healthcare. The initiative targets frequent 911 callers and ER visitors, known as “frequent fliers.â€
Bob Vertiz, the department’s EMS coordinator, along with two nurses trained in case management and social work, began visiting these individuals at home. Vertiz checked for fire hazards, while the nurses ensured patients were taking their medications and keeping doctor appointments. They also addressed any other health concerns raised by the patients.
“Most of these people have real health issues,†said Knott. “The goal is to connect them with the right services. Just picking someone up and bringing them to the hospital isn’t the solution. We need long-term care, and that’s what this program offers.â€
The results of the pilot program will be shared at the November Rock Stat meeting. Although expanding the program may cost money initially, it could lead to significant savings over time by reducing the need for repeated ambulance and fire truck responses.
“It’s not just about saving money,†Knott added. “We’re focused on improving patient care.â€
Heather Schafer, CEO of the National Volunteer Fire Council, noted that volunteer fire departments are also seeing a shift. Fires are becoming less common, but 80% of their calls are now related to EMS. Many of these departments operate with fewer resources than full-time fire departments.
“Cross-training firefighters is becoming more common, but funding remains a big challenge,†she said. “Training, equipment, and apparatus all come with a high cost.â€
Cherry Valley Fire Protection District Chief Craig Wilt explained that his department has 15 full-time and 30 paid-on-call firefighters. EMS calls make up 75–80% of their workload. As the Baby Boomer generation continues to age, he expects this trend to continue.
While OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center offers free paramedic training, Wilt said the certification process can take two years. During that time, other firefighters must cover their shifts, which increases overtime costs. To cut down on this, the department now requires all new full-time hires to already be certified paramedics upon hiring.
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