VIDEO: Along with fighting fires, Waterloo Fire & Rescue also does a lot of paramedic work. Responding to falling accidents to cardiac arrest calls, 80% of the department's dispatch calls are actually for paramedics and ambulance.
Therefore, for day 3 of Fire Prevention Week, the department took KWWL's Alaina Kwan along for a step-by-step simulation of a cardiac arrest call at the Hazardous Material Training Center in Waterloo.
According to Battalion Chief Bill Beck, 911 services in Waterloo go through the department.
"911 services in Waterloo are run by the fire department, so it's an important thing to keep in mind during fire prevention week," Beck said, "every paramedic in Waterloo Fire & Rescue is a firefighter first."