NLV to rely on rescue vehicles on emergeny calls

Thursday, Jan. 18, 2001 | 10:53 a.m.

North Las Vegas Fire Chief Robert Dodge is shifting away from the traditional concept of a red, gleaming firetruck being sent out on all emergency calls.

Instead, Dodge is joining the rest of the Las Vegas Valley -- and nation -- in leaving firetrucks in the station and using smaller rescue rigs to respond to a majority of emergencies.

On Wednesday the North Las Vegas City Council gave the go-ahead for Dodge to purchase two new rescue rigs from funds that were originally set aside for a firetruck.

With the council's approval, Dodge said the department will adopt a fire rescue concept, working to put more rescue units on the street rather than firetrucks.

"Everyone expects (firefighters) to roll up in big red trucks," he said. "But when we're going on a call for someone who has stomach pains, that's a lot of equipment and a lot of manpower that is committed until an ambulance pulls up to transport them."

In the past a firetruck has gone out to every call that comes through the dispatcher -- fire emergency or not. Dodge said 80 percent of calls are for emergency medical service, so it makes sense to use a rescue vehicle strictly for those calls instead of a firetruck.

Las Vegas has been using the rescue rigs since the 1970s, with 11 currently in use. Other fire departments around the nation are also ditching the firetruck concept.

North Las Vegas tested out the concept in its first purchase of a rescue rig last year and has since ordered a second.