As to questions of why firefighters respond to medical emergencies: firefighters are trained to respond to medical emergencies and fire trucks are equipped to initiate medical care, but ambulances are needed for transport to medical facilities. It is an administrative decision as to who to send first and why, but ultimately, the goal is to provide the type of service needed and as quickly as possible.

Every time there's a story about the fire department, police department, the City of Victoria in general, the armchair quarterbacks and critics pounce all over it. It's both amusing and disgusting how many people there are who love to criticize. Being a democracy, you do have the right to speak your mind, but... nevertheless it's still disheartening to see so much pettiness.

Thanks Kash. That makes sense. We do have a lot of 250 to 300 lb heart attacks waiting to happen. Plus, their is always a chance of training for each respondent on each emergency call.

My understanding of the use of the firetruck is manpower. 1) not all patients become sick/injured in a convenient place, sometimes furniture and items must be moved in order to reach the patient, 2) people are not light, the more backs you have to lift a patient the less risk of injury for both the patient and the responders, 3) if you are in a full code emergency extra hands are great, you wouldn't want them to stop CPR in order to start an IV for emergency meds. They don't ride all in one vechicle because if the extra help is not needed then the firetruck is still available for dispatch.
Private ambulances don't want the "i have a cold' call because they probably won't get paid.

Sorry folks. No harm meant to VFD. For the third time I will ask the question, but in a different way. What was the change several years ago that when we had a medical call, i.e. car wreck, heart attack at home, elderly fell in home, etc.., that along with the ambulance and EMS the VFD started sending a fire engine with a couple fully bunkered up fireman? There was a procedural change. They did not start doing this because they were bored. Did it have something to do with cross training paramedics and firefighters?

We have had to have VFD to respond to our home and I must say in my many years on this planet I have met few folks that earned every penny we pay for their service as these fine men and women.

THANK YOU VFD!!!!!!

To nothing surprises me- how irrelevant to bring up janitors and bus boys... I personally do thank them however. Pay attention to whom the article is about.

Shouldn't they have been shifting personnel like this a long time ago?...

Before you all continue to bash the people that save lives here in our community think about their families that have to read your nonsense. Don't speak on an issue you know nothing about. I there is a firetruck & ambulance at the same call is specifically because they need assistance. Why is that issue to important to you? If they werent shopping to cook their own food at Heb for 24 sometimes 48 hour shift you'd be bashin them for eating out all of the time! & if you have a cold you obviously shouldn't be calling 911 and drive yourself to the ER! God forbid you ever need their services because regardless if you talked here about them online they still have to go and assist you.

Okay. We've had different answers on the question, why the VFD requires a fire truck and ambulance to respond to all medical calls. Can someone who knows what the VFD procedures say about this please respond.

Seriously....You should be thanking the fire department instead of bashing them. They work 24/7, 365 days a year protecting YOU. Before you spout off useless comments about something you have no knowledge of you should take the time to gather all of the facts on the subject. I work with these guys on a daily basis, regardless if it is a nosebleed or a major car accident they respond with no questions asked - as for being rude and cocky I have never witnessed that attitude in any of them. And yes, they do shop at HEB - since they work 24 hour shifts they do have to eat. But if you did not notice, they have the radio's with them and I have seen them on more than one occasion rush out the store without their groceries when a call comes in. So please, instead of griping and complaining about the guys and girls who serve you - thank them for the job they do ! The next life they save may be yours!

Firetrucks are sent to all accidents to assist in traffic control as their trucks are used to block lanes (other cities use police) so traffic can move around the accident.

Unless a serious accident why are firetrucks even dispatched?

By law, I don't think private ambulances can not be used as an emergency vehicle and dispached as such. Not sure but I know the plants must have a city firedepartment ambulance respond to take a injured person to the hospital.

Fire trucks aren't sent to all medical calls.

Why can't the private ambulances respond to an accident or the "i have a cold" call? I mean really. If the call is in the city limits, it takes under 10 minutes to get to a hospital ER. And the private ambulance will be a lot cheaper for the patient and the taxpayers.

And don't respond to this with a "what if" scenario.

What emergencys? I see all the time where a fire truck and EMS vehicles go right by another fire station on the way to some where with light flashing and sirens screeming. I have seen twice this last month where another fire station EMS pulled up behind another firestation to make a call. I hope I never need an emergency. Victoria might call in Goliad to make the call.

Simply, more manpower.

Hopefully this change works well for the VFD.

Someone please refresh my memory on why the VFD requires a fire truck and firemen to respond with the ambulance to all calls for medical attention calls.