Emergency Medical Services Branch

EMS Branch

Alachua County Fire Rescue (ACFR) provides emergency medical services to the citizens and visitors of Alachua County. The agency is designated by County Ordinance as the primary provider of emergency and non-emergency medical transport services, serving a population of 256,380 in an area of roughly 963 square miles. The EMS Branch is managed by Assistant Chief Jeff Taylor with the support of an Administrative Assistant and four Training Captains. The men and women of ACFR respond to approximately 34, 250 EMS related incidents annually, of which more than 76% are transported to hospital emergency rooms.

ACFR currently operates 12 rescue units and 10 fire apparatus twenty four hours a day, 365 days a year.  Two of the 12 units are equipped with specialized equipment designed to provide safe and dignified transport for bariatric patients. In 2016, the department will be adding an additional 3 rescue units to the fleet that will operate on staggered shifts throughout the peak time of the day. These trucks are staffed with a Critical Care Paramedic and driver to offer an increased level of service while providing additional emergency and non-emergency transport capability during the busiest times of the day.

All of the rescue units and fire apparatus are licensed Advanced Life Support Units (ALS), carrying the latest equipment offered in the industry. EMS training provides up-to-date instruction and techniques in advanced cardiac life support, basic life support, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (COR), advanced airway management, stroke management, myocardial infarction treatment, and more. Our system utilizes the Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) system to ensure citizens receive the closest and most appropriate rescue unit and/or fire engine response. All ACFR personnel are certified as either Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) or paramedic, with at least one state certified paramedic on each vehicle.

ACFR EMS personnel are focused on providing cutting edge pre-hospital care delivered with the an unmatched level of customer service.