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About Us
The Willard Fire Department proudly protects life and property of approximately 12,500 people in the Fire Department coverage area. Along with the protection of the City of Willard, the department covers most of the four surrounding townships (92 square miles) which include Greenfield Twp, New Haven Twp, Norwich Twp, and Richmond Twp. Willard Fire & Rescue delivers fire & emergency medical services, Haz-Mat, Dive Rescue, and Confined Space Rescue by a staff of 6 full-time and 40 part-time personnel. On Sunday, September 30, 2001 Willard Fire & Rescue implemented 24 hour around the clock coverage on station. In the past years, the full-time firefighters worked from 8am - 4pm Monday thru Friday. During the hours from 4pm until 8am the next day also including 48 hours on the weekends, part-time firefighters responded for Fire & EMS calls from their homes. With the 24 hour shift work it has reduced the response time on Fire & EMS calls. |
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BLS
Basic Life Support |
Since the fire department began responding for emergency medical calls with the ambulance in 1973, it began with the level of Emergency Medical Technician - Ambulance (EMT-A). In 1995 the Ohio Department of Public Safety initiated a new curriculum called a bridge course for the EMT-A which they would then become Emergency Medical Technician - Basic (EMT-B). The bridge course would now allow the EMT-B's to use an AED (automated external defibrillator) for pulseless, non-breathing patients who suffered a cardiac arrest. The AED would allow the EMTs to defibrillate (shock) a patient who's heart was in ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia and try to restore the heart into a normal rhythm. The bridge course also allowed the EMTs to intubate patients who were not breathing. Intubation is the procedure of placing a tube into the trachea just past the vocal cords to secure the patient's airway and prevent the patient from aspirating foreign objects into the lungs. The bridge course also allowed the EMTs to assist the patient with Nitroglycerin and Meter Dosed Inhalers (MDI).
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ALS
Advanced Life Support |
In April of 2001 the fire department upgraded Emergency Medical Services (EMS) from a Basic Life Support to an Advanced Life Support level. The fire department has two levels of Advanced Life Support which include the Advanced EMT (AEMT) and the Paramedic. Advanced EMTs perform all of the above BLS skills plus initiate IV therapy, administer medications for some breathing problems, allergic reactions, seizures, drug overdoses, pain management and diabetic emergencies. The Advanced EMT also interprets 6 cardiac rhythms and perform a chest decompression in the case of a collapsed lung.
Paramedics perform the skills listed above for the EMT and Advanced EMT plus interpret 25 cardiac rhythms, cardioversion, defibrillation with a manual defibrillator, needle cricothyrotomy, surgical cricothyrotomy (an incision in the neck for a breathing tube to be inserted), and chest decompression. The paramedic also provides medication therapy for cardiac emergencies including a heart attack, irregular heart rhythms, rapid sequence intubation (RSI), breathing problems, allergic reactions, seizures, drug overdoses, pain management and diabetic emergencies. |
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Services
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Willard Fire & Rescue provides the following services:
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