SACRAMENTO, Calif — First responders with Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District are using new innovations to reduce the number of runs a full-engine fire truck can do on any given day.
On Monday, the fire district introduced a new squad car that will serve the Arden-Arcade and Carmichael areas. The squad car is something Sacramento Metro Fire has tested before, and they know it works.
A similar vehicle is already being used in other areas, and it's proven to be one of their best ideas yet.
Squad 102 is fully loaded and ready to hit the road with an urgency to respond to any low-level medical call.
"They can respond to low acuity medical aids, minor vehicle accidents. People that may just need some help getting up or locked themselves out of their vehicles. There's a number of things that this resource can do in lieu of having a 40,000-pound fire engine showing up," said Battalion Chief Parker Wilbourn, spokesperson for Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District.
Wilbourn said this frees up a fire engine, so it can go to life-threatening emergencies.
This vehicle is stationed at Station 102 on Marconi Avenue. It'll help people in the area of Carmichael and Arden-Arcade.
Two of these squad cars are already working in North Highlands and Rancho Cordova.
"So, in the past 15 years, Sacramento County has grown by about 9%, and we've seen a 67% increase in our call volume. So, we are really having to think outside the box, get innovative in how we conduct business, so we can continue to move forward," said Wilbourn.
The vehicle will be manned by two advanced-level paramedics, and it's expected this squad will run over 3,000 calls a year. That's thousands of calls a regular fire engine doesn't have to go on.
It's also saving the engines from wear and tear, which firefighters said could make it last an extra five years.
"With that 67% increase in call volume, it's very expensive to build new firehouses and staff it with fire engines and fire trucks and those resources. This is an out-of-the-box potential program that is going to do very similar aid capability," said Wilbourn.
This squad car will also be able to respond to small fires, and they've proven to be so effective that other agencies, such as Sacramento Fire Department, are looking to use the same idea for their fire stations.
Funding for the vehicle comes partially through the SAFER grant and the remaining from their general fund. It was converted from an administrative Tahoe, and they already had all the tools in their inventory.
It costs less than $5,000 whereas a new engine can cost more than $1 million before adding tools and hose.
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