The South Bend Fire Department Emergency Medical Services is (EMS) headed by the 8 hour Assistant Chief.  The structure of EMS includes 61 Paramedics, 24 Intermediates, 27 Advanced EMT's, 99 Basic EMT's and 20 First Responders.  The Department provides Advanced Life Support County wide.  Four transport units are dedicated to the City of South Bend and three transport and one non-transport units to St. Joseph County.

The number of responses to medical emergencies continues to grow.  South Bend Firefighters/Paramedics responded to 17,000 medical incidents in 2005.

Delivery of ALS care to patients within the city is a top priority for the South Bend Fire Department.  We have started an ALS First Responder Program;  this allows any Advanced Certified Firefighter to deliver ALS treatment while on a Fire Company.

All 911 calls for medical assistance are handled by our communications center.  They are screened by using Medical Priority Dispatch and sent either on a Hot (lights or siren) calls.  Hot calls are ALS and cold BLS.  All Hot calls receive a First Responder and a Medic Unit.  Medical Protocols have been revised to allow more rapid ALS treatment before medical control and are again being revised.

The mechanical units we use are all medium-super-duty units on a Navistar chassis.  Safety of our crew is also a priority.  Equipment is top quality.  Paramedics have an input in selecting the equipment that they use every day.  A happy medic is a caring medic.

The never ending process of medical training for all firefighters continues to grow.  The department offers monthly EMS training within our department for all firefighters and our two sponsoring hospitals offer four monthly in services for all EMS Certified persons within the county.  Maintaining you continuing education hours is not a problem.

South Bend Fire Department
1222 South Michigan St.
South Bend, Indiana 46601
574.235.9255