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The Farmers Branch Fire Department has added two new ambulances to its fleet, replacing older vehicles as the department works to keep up with the growing demand for emergency services.
The two new ambulances began active service in late July. The fire department replaces its ambulances every five years to maintain reliable emergency vehicles and keep up with changes in medical and emergency-response technology.
The new ambulances are equipped with four-wheel drive, giving firefighters and paramedics additional capability when responding to emergencies in different road and weather conditions. They also feature a new Mobile Electric Power Solutions, or MEPS, system, which allows the vehicles to generate and provide electricity wherever it is needed during an emergency. The system can provide a reliable source of power for equipment at emergency scenes.
Matt Ball, who has worked as an EMT with the Farmers Branch Fire Department for 21 years, said the department has seen a steady increase in emergency calls as the community and surrounding area continue to grow.
“Almost every year, we’ll get a slight increase in our calls,” Ball said.
Ball attributed the increase in part to continued development in the area, which brings more residents, businesses and traffic to Farmers Branch.
“You have more businesses coming in and everything is growing in this area. So you have more people which is going to generate more calls,” Ball said. “You have more traffic on the roads, which is going to cause more accidents.”
Along with the updated equipment, the ambulances have updated their color scheme and logos. The fire department has traditionally used a white-and-red color scheme, which Ball said has been in place for decades. The new ambulances feature a red-and-black design, reflecting a color scheme that Ball said is becoming more common among fire departments.
“That color scheme, the white and red, we’ve had for decades,” Ball said.
“The red and black is a new color scheme that a lot of fire departments are going to,” Ball said. “We went to a new black and red, so they’re very modern looking.”
Former Farmers Branch Mayor Bill Glancy said advances in ambulance equipment allow paramedics to begin providing more medical care as soon as they arrive at an emergency, rather than waiting until a patient reaches a hospital. The ability to provide treatment quickly is crucial during medical emergencies where time is critical, including strokes.
“We have continually heard where people have been saved as the result of what paramedics have been able to accomplish in the golden hour after an emergency event,” Glancy said. “In many cases like strokes, time is of the essence and they have equipment in the ambulance to deal with such issues.”
Glancy said the cost of emergency-response equipment must be considered alongside the value of having that equipment available when residents need it.
“All equipment is expensive, but you have to balance the cost against what is a human life worth,” he said.
“People complain about hearing a siren, but if it is coming to your house, it is a great sound to hear,” Glancy said.
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