For the first time in more than a decade, the Providence Fire Department has added two new EMS units to its fleet. Officials said the goal is to improve response times in high-demand neighborhoods and reduce their reliance on mutual aid.
โThe EMS volumes here in Providence are extraordinary. Highest in the nation, by some measures,โ Mayor Brett Smiley said during a press conference on Monday. โ33,000 EMS runs here in Providence, and rescues 8 and 9 will strengthen our capacity to respond to emergencies quickly and efficiently in every neighborhood in the city.โ
The city has been working toward adding the new units for several months, with the rescues costing approximately $800,000 in total. No new jobs were added, according to officials, but the deployment was made possible by increasing overall staffing from recent academies and some federally funded positions.
Fire officials expect the addition of these units will cut down on the need for mutual aid from neighboring communities.
โRecognizing that for transportation, 94% of those transports are handled by us now,โ Providence Fire Chief Derek Silva explained. โSo itโs about 2,000 of those 33,000 calls that a mutual aid truck is needed, and so, because that same high utilization during those peak hours, we expect to see that decrease too.โ
