The last time you saw a medical emergency without a fire, you were probably surprised to see a firetruck pull onto the scene. The people getting out were dressed as firefighters but acted as paramedics. That can leave you with questions about the differences between these two professions.
Paramedics are typically thought of as the people riding in ambulances, providing emergency medical services. Meanwhile, firefighters are responsible for fighting fires. However, most people don’t know that firefighters can also be paramedics. This crossover is confusing for many people. So, here are the differences between firefighters and paramedics.
Paramedics are not Always Firefighters
Experts in the field, such as Daniel Ahasic, note that it is possible to be a paramedic, not a firefighter. It is typical for people to receive training for emergency medical services and not end up working at a fire department. Meanwhile, a firefighter’s primary job is to put out fires.
At first glance, these seem pretty separate. However, these two first responders have quite a bit of overlap. The reason is that there are far fewer fires today than in the past. That’s because building materials are flame-resistant, fire safety is in their designs, and layouts prevent fire spread.
Paramedics Don’t Fight Fires
Firefighters are trained to work as paramedics. However, paramedics are not prepared to work as firefighters. So unless a paramedic decides to work for a fire department, they will not be trained to put out fires. This lack of training is because firefighting can last days at times, and it isn’t practical to have paramedics away from their job for this time when other emergencies are still going to happen.
Firefighters are Paramedics
Fire departments employ paramedics and ensure they can put out fires and tend to wounds. Many departments make paramedic training a requirement for all of their staff. After all, most of the calls that fire departments respond to are medical emergencies without fires. Therefore, hiring firefighters trained as paramedics allows them to have people who can handle these situations on staff when emergencies happen.
EMTs vs. Paramedics
EMTs are trained to perform CPR, administer insulin, treat allergic reactions, and perform noninvasive procedures. However, an EMT receives significantly less training because the rescue procedures don’t involve breaking the skin. Meanwhile, a paramedic has extensive education with a high amount of knowledge regarding anatomy, medicine, cardiology, and physiology.
Fire Departments Have Ambulances
Fire departments have ambulances because most of their work involves emergency medical services. However, many fire departments still keep a large portion of their medical equipment in firetrucks and will dispatch these to an accident rather than an ambulance.
That said, fire departments sometimes dispatch ambulances with EMTs or paramedics to sites where patients must be taken to the hospital. Usually, this occurs when a private ambulance is unavailable.
You may hear paramedics and firefighters used interchangeably. However, they are unique jobs. Paramedics handle medical emergencies, and firefighters put out fires. That said, many firefighters also are trained as EMTs or paramedics. Therefore, you will often find paramedics working in fire departments.
