CRISIS RESPONSE IMPROVES.

Byline: Cecilia Chan Staff Writer

Residents in need of emergency medical aid are seeing a faster response time, thanks to a new program in which Ventura County firefighters are being trained as paramedics.

So far, 15 firefighters have been trained to administer intravenous catheters, give life-saving drugs and provide other extensive prehospital care. These are stationed in Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley and add to the paramedic manpower provided by the county's contracted private ambulance provider, American Medical Response.

``There's nothing wrong with the current level of service in the county,'' Fire Chief Bob Roper said at a Monday news conference announcing the week-old program. ``We are trying to enhance the level of service.''

Roper said the department's partnership with AMR won't foster competition or duplication of services between the two.

``It makes it better with more paramedics on the road and faster times to get calls,'' said Butch Kedrowski, operations manager for AMR, which provides four ambulances in Thousand Oaks, two in Simi Valley and one in Moorpark.

Now when a 911 call comes into the department, the closest responding agency - AMR or county fire - will be sent to the scene, officials explained. AMR will still provide transport to the hospital.

During its first week, the Advanced Life Support squads in Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley responded to 83 calls.

If AMR is busy with an emergency call, trained firefighters can fill the gap, said Sandi Wells, county fire spokeswoman.

``In some situations, like a confined-space rescue, people in a trench, a private paramedic can't go down because of training. A firefighter can,'' she said. ``The idea is getting treatment to people as fast as possible.''

In 90 percent of emergency calls, AMR has responded within the allotted 8.5 minutes and the few times it was late was because it was busy, said Barbara Brodfuehrer, administrator for the county regulatory agency, Emergency Medical Services.

``It's a real good enhancement to the service that is already there and doing a good job,'' she said.

Roper said the initial start-up cost for the program was $1.4 million, which includes the cost for two brand-new yellow paramedic trucks equipped with medical supplies.

After Roper devised numerous versions to his program, county supervisors unanimously approved it in 1999.

Roper said as the program grows he hopes to have as many as 36 firefighters trained as paramedics - about 20 percent of the rank-and-file - and to put them on fire engines.

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Photo:

Paramedic Michael Williams of Ventura County Fire Department holds an emergency defibrillator during the county's presentation of its new emergency vehicles and equipment, an event held Monday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley.

Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer