EMS Truck Returns to Beach Fire StationBy Anne McKay GarrisBack on September 1, when the Emergency Medical Services truck was moved from the Clearwater Beach Fire Station to North Greenwood, Chief Jamie Geer said that it was an experiment, an effort to use the equipment where it was most needed. He assured us that the Beach would still be adequately covered by the addition of advanced medical support trained fire fighters aboard the Fire Engine which was still stationed at the Beach. At the time, however, it was reported that the Beach Station had responded to 1,067 calls in 2007. A quick calculation puts that at almost three calls a day. This week, the EMS truck was returned to the Beach station. A spokesman for the Clearwater Fire Department stated that it had been determined that distribution of the Department's resources could best be served with the EMS truck at the Beach and North Greenwood's needs served from the downtown station. One example of why this was a good move was an incident, last Saturday night. Our lone Fire Engine was on an emergency medical call on the north beach when they were summoned to a restaurant fire, also on the Beach. Fortunately, by the time the fire summons came, the person needing medical care had already been attended to, but the Fire Engine had to go directly to the restaurant fire from the emergency medical call. We can all be thankful that our city officials are paying close attention to the wellbeing of all the citizens of Clearwater.
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