First Responder EMS, Inc. has been providing Advanced Life Support - Paramedic Ambulance Service to the citizens of Butte County for 20 years. Since 1988, First Responder has grown from a single ambulance, operating from one location to today's time where Paramedics and EMT's operate out of nine different stations and sixteen ambulances, spread throughout the Chico, Paradise and Oroville areas.

Prior to 1988, First Responder EMS, Inc. was purchased from Chico Community Hospital. In fact, the roots of First Responder date to the 1970's when the service was known as Chico Ambulance. Throughout the changes in ownership, First Responder has maintained uninterrupted Advanced Life Support Service to Butte County.

First Responder has a simple three step philosophy. The first and most important is to provide excellent patient care. Step two is to provide care for each other. Finally, First Responder strives to maintain financial stability so we can continue providing excellent care to our patients, community and employees.

First Responder has partnered with Enloe Hospital as well as other ambulance companies around Butte County to provide 12 Lead EKG monitoring to our patients. The "STEMI" program, endorsed by Enloe Hospital has one goal in mind: to get a patient experiencing a heart attack to definitive treatment at an approved cardiac catheterization facility within ninety minutes.

In 2008, Enloe Hospital received a grant that enabled most ambulance services in and around Butte County to receive 12 Lead EKG Monitor/Defibrillators. These monitors from Zoll Medical, enable the Paramedic to send via telemetry, the 12 lead rhythm to the hospital. Based on the information received, the patient can be diverted directly a designated cardiac cath lab.

First Responder acquired five of the monitors through the grant and purchased the remaining three so all of our first out ambulances retain this technology. Although the program is still in its infancy, the talent and expertise of our Paramedics and EMT's have already demonstrated success by rapidly identifying several patients with acute heart attacks and following the procedures to transport the patient to the cath lab.

First Responder staffs our Dispatch Center 24 hours a day. In conjunction with fire agencies, First Responder works to ensure a timely and efficient process when 911 is called. To accomplish this, First Responder uses computer aided dispatch software by Zoll Data Systems. This software enables the dispatcher to keep current status on the location of all resources under the control of the dispatcher. In addition, the dispatcher is in constant communication over UHF, VHF and Low Band frequencies with mobile resources as well as fire and ambulance dispatch centers throughout the county and state.

All of our Dispatchers are trained to the Emergency Medical Dispatch level. This training is nationally recognized and administered by the National Academy of Emergency Dispatch. In the event of a medical emergency, please call 911. To schedule transportation, contact our dispatch center:

530-891-HELP(4357) ph
530-891-5854 fax

To aid in the dispatch process, First Responder has placed into service GPS/AVL Tracking. All of our ambulances and medivans have on board GPS units that update our dispatch center every 15 seconds with the location of the unit. Each unit is displayed on a map within our Dispatch Center. The map offers real time data for unit and incident location. This data assists the dispatcher in ranking the closest, most appropriate unit to respond to the call.

GPS/AVL Hardware:
Astral Communications

GPS/AVL Software:
Zoll Data Systems, Rescuenet Nomad

Wireless Cellular Provider:
Communication Impact

First Responder EMS deploys personnel to support Butte County Sheriff SWAT missions. The mission is to provide advanced life support care to the members of the SWAT Team during tactical operations. All medical personnel are sworn sheriff deputies and go through rigorous training with the SWAT team
  
During tactical operations, the Paramedic assigned to the SWAT will treat and extricate the injured out of the "red zone" to an awaiting advanced life support ambulance or air ambulance, who transports the patient to the hospital.