Emergency Medical Services Branch
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Letter from the Chief
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.

Alachua County Fire Rescue also operates a number of critical care transports under the
Critical Care Division within the department. These units provide a unique service within the community.