Let's discuss Squads, Ambulances, and Rescues...

[yfdgricker]

In a previous hot topic, Joe (aka Daysleeper47) said this comment...

...for those of you confused, a squad is an ambulance, unlike in Youngstown, who I realized has had it wrong for so many years...

 

Some cities have different definitions of what squads should be.

In Youngstown, Squad 33 would be the equivalent of a rescue company. In Austintown, Squads 55 and 17 are Rescue Engines, Canfield has Squads 1 and 2, which are Rescue Engines.
I can't think of anyone in the area who uses squad to designate an ambulance company.

I know there are places that do. Anyone want to comment?

[yfdgricker]

You could live in Chicago where you have Squad 5...



and Squad 5A...

[Box 2565]

I'm confused!  Not really.  Terminology is different everywhere.  Cincinnati has all 3 of the above mentioned units.  The squad is Squad 52 (heavy rescue), rescue's are paramedic staffed transport vehicles (ambulances), and ambulances are EMT staffed transport vehicles (ambulances).

Newport, Kentucky (about 10 miles from here) operates 2 paramedic staffed ambulances which are Squads 1 ' 2.  

The 3 terms are used all over to cover descriptions of variously staffed transports.

[yfd4]

Squad 1 in Warren ,Ohio is a complete fire department and is assigned on all structure responses citywide as well as a few stills in the downtown area. Generally the squad does the bulk of all firefighting throughout the entire city. It is outfitted with a crew of 6 and can attack any fire with a primary and back-up line....YFD4

[daysleeper47]

While I love Squad 33 dearly, it really is a rescue. Having been under the infuence of the Cleveland-suburb system for so long an now beginning my EMS training in this area, I have changed my opinion of the differences between squads, rescues, medics, and ambulances, etc., etc., etc. I used to be of the school that Youngstown's squad was the correct use of the word "squad". Well, in the 'burbs, squads are paramedic staffed/ALS transport units, the same with medics (hence, paraMEDICS). Ambulances are BLS transports and/or wheelchair transports. Rescues do extrication, can run ALS transport I suppse, if the vehicle has the capability, but I see them more for actual RESCUE work. I guess the thing about the manpower squad could also work, but only b/c of he historical precedant, but for the most part squads are, as far as I am concerned, ALS units. So, as you can tell by my answer, and others, there is no clear cut answer and we can debate this until we are blue in the face.

[schollsy]

Like evryone has said, there is no right or wrong answer for what what a squad, rescue, etc. should be called. You could go to FDNY where a squad is a rescue pumper, a rescue is a huge heavy-duty whatever you need is carried on these trucks rescue. I'm not sure what their ambulances are called. Or you could go to Norfolk, VA, where the ambulances are staffed with 2 paramedics and are called rescues. Their heavy-duty rescues with the extrication equipment are called squads. It's different everywhere.

[daysleeper47]

Here in Youngstown, Lane LifeTrans runs units that say "Medic Rescue." Do these units actually do rescue? I know they are ALS/Medic units, but what about the rescue. Just wondering why they say that.

[yfdgricker]

Lanes ambulance covers Austintown, Canfield and parts of Trumbull Co (Weathersfield, Lordstown, McDonald). They have 'normal' medic units and they have 1 medic/rescue unit that the EMS supervisor responds in. The Medic/Resue unit I believe does have a compliment of rescue and extrication equipment including jaws.



Photo from the Lanes Lifetrans Web Site at http://www.lanelifetrans.com/

[JJ_JAMMER]

In the Chautauqua County NY where i live there are 42 fire depts. Of these , 1 is fully paid, 2 are paid drivers only , the rest are volunteer. Most of the FD's have ambulances which are designated R(rescue) then dept. call sign. For example......there are 4 battilions in the county, varied # of depts in each battalion. Therefore the call signs are as follows.........battalion # 1,2,3,4 then fd designated #0-9, then depts own unit #1-6
My local volly dept units are R-491( ambulance) E-491,E-492(engines)T-491,492,493 (tankers) extrication equip. is carried on E492. For those depts. that have a "heavy rescue" designator is always 1 ie.....R-311 is a heavy while R-312 is the ambulance. In the fully paid dept, R-1 is the ALS ambulance transport unit, R-2 is the fly car( so to speak) which also carries extrication equip along with E-4 also. Throughout most of the county the vollies have miscellaneas units which carry all sorts of equip from SCBA to more tools to manpower.........i guess these would quaify as squads (manpower). Dont know if this has made any sense cause this county is bass ackwards but ...............

[daysleeper47]

Ok now... Squad 33 was formerly thought of as a heavy rescue. Have we all changed mindsets to the fact that our squad has gone from a heavy rescue to an engine with rescue equipment? I wish someone like the NFPA or IAFF or some national fire organization would create a standard for all of these squads/ambulance/heavy rescue companies to follow... I am getting a headache. it's time to stop thinking about all of this!

[YARBFD10]

Lets all take a page from one of the greatest fire departments in the world.....  FDNY.

A Squad Company in the Big Apple is.....
 - A manpower unit ( carrying at least 6 firefighters with specialized tools and equipment ) capable of performing some or all of the tasks required of Engine, Ladder, and Rescue Companies.

I like Warren's idea of running their Squad 1 on all alarms citywide, but I still believe they need another engine company in the downtown area.

Youngstown's Squad 33 is also a good idea as long as their is another engine company to back it up.  A squad should be a secondary resource, not your primary attack unit.

So to put this beast to bed, little white trucks with big boxes on the back are not SQUADS.

[daysleeper47]

That's your opinion...

[YARBFD10]

My opinion and that of several of the largest fire departments in the nation..........

[daysleeper47]

Which still only make up about .0025% of the entire firefighting force in the country. This debate won't be settled in these forums anytime soon. Every department operates differently and uses different terms. To be honest, who cares what is called what as long as the people calling it whatever get the job done.

[yfdgricker]

I visited Merriam Webster's Dictionary and looked up the definition of a squad.

They define it as

"a small organized group of military personnel; especially : a tactical unit that can be easily directed in the field"[/i][/red]

so if we change a little wording an make it a small organized group of fire or ems personnel then by saying that something is an "ambulance squad" or a "rescue squad" is technically both correct. They are both a small organized group of personnel that is trained in their respective areas.

What type of apparatus they use is not even a consideration. Whether they use a heavy rescue rig, a rescue pumper, a suburban, a snorkle such as Chicago squad 5A, or a bicycle isn't relevent.