By: Emma Wheeler | WCTV Eyewitness News

February 17, 2020

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) -- Emergency responders have a job that never slows down. Now the Tallahassee Fire Department is taking their care to the next level.

Tallahassee Fire now has 13 "Advanced Life Support" units spread across the Capital City, serving the community 24 hours, 365 days per year.

The new designation is a huge step forward for emergency services, and could potentially be the difference in a patient's survival.

Often the first on scene, now these responders are the first to give life saving medical care.

As of Friday, every fire station in Tallahassee is designated ALS. It means that fire trucks are equipped with the personnel and equipment to provide more in depth care as they take patients to the hospital.

Prior to this upgrade, if Tallahassee Fire received a call for chest pain, personnel would only be able to administer oxygen and test vital signs prior to EMS arrival. Now they can do much more.

"They can administer IVs, provide medication and they can send a rhythm strip to the ER to let them know, hey, we have this in the field, your patient's coming with an MI, and that helps prepare the chain of survival," said Division Chief Mike Hadden. "It's important because it provides the best level of care to our citizens. It is the standard of care throughout the country. We recognize the need and we want to make sure our folks, the people of the City of Tallahassee and Leon county receive the best possible, pre-hospital care."

Fire officials said this designation means patients have the best chance of survival.

Tallahassee Fire said the next step is for all stations in Leon County to have the same ALS designation. Officials said it's an ongoing expansion, and they continue to assess where it's most needed.