Colorado Springs Fire Department launches community medicine response units

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)-- On Wednesday morning, the Colorado Springs Fire Department launched their new community medicine response units.

The CMED units will respond to lower priority medical calls. Anytime someone dials 911 for a medical emergency, whether it's a heart attack or a sprained ankle, the Colorado Springs Fire Department would send out a full response.

"We largely and historically have a system like many other or most EMS and fire-based systems in the country where there’s a one size fits all," said CSFD medical director Stein Bronsky. "Really that doesn’t serve the public as well as if we were to tier out the type of responses that we give people."

Now, CSFD is making those changes with community medicine response units. They're equipped to take care of people at an advanced life support level.

"What we’re able to do is send out these smaller units with a paramedic and an EMT on there to address the needs of the individual without having to send that heavy apparatus out their door, which leaves that apparatus more available for a more appropriate type of call for that cardiac arrest, structure fire, car accident things of that nature," said CSFD Lt. Andrew Cooper.

The Colorado Springs Fire Department says every year its call volume increases by about three percent. This year the department is preparing for 75,000 calls, 80% of them for medical reasons.

"Rather than expanding our heavy apparatus we can use the same dollar amount that it would for the heavy apparatus we can get four of these units out on the road so we have more response through out the city," Cooper said.

The four CMED units will be operating from 8am to 9pm, seven days a week.

"And then ultimately help them get to the appropriate type of medical care, which may be an emergency department, an urgent care, doctor's visit, or a treat-in-place," Bronsky said.

CSFD ran pilot programs for this in 2016 and 2018. The CMED units will first start in Southern Colorado Springs where there's more demand, and eventually respond to the entire city.