Why is a firetruck called out to attend a death scene?

debodun

debodun

SF VIP
Location
way upstate in New York, USA
Yesterday I heard the fire siren. Shortly afterwards a bunch of emergency vehicles, including a fire truck, turned down the road across from my house (attachment -my house in green circle, where activity was is red X) . Two elderly woman, to whom I used to deliver meals, live there. Being concerned, I sent an email to the one I know is online regularly asking if she knew what was happening. A few hours later she replied that the other woman's son had passed away. Why is a fire truck needed for this? Wouldn't the police and an ambulance be adequate?

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debodun said:
Yesterday I heard the fire siren. Shortly afterwards a bunch of emergency vehicles, including a fire truck, turned down the road across from my house (attachment -my house in green circle, where activity was is red X) . Two elderly woman, to whom I used to deliver meals, live there. Being concerned, I sent an email to the one I know is online regularly asking if she knew what was happening. A few hours later she replied that the other woman's son had passed away. Why is a fire truck needed for this? Wouldn't the police and an ambulance be adequate?

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Same here, only it's not only death scenes but every call imaginable. I figure it's overkill- not wanting to risk not having personnel/equipment that may be needed.
 
Yes, it is overkill, but these firemen have the training and equipment to deal with
almost any situation (except people with guns).
You should see a police car also pulling in your driveway. In today's crazed society
the responders have to cover all the bases.
 
RadishRose said:
Maybe ghe fire truck was closer? Maybe the ambulaance emt's are understaffed? How can we know? Call and ask them, then let us know.
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I don't know about debodon's area, or whether it's changed in recent years, but when I lived there the paramedics were with the fire department.
And from what friends and a relative said, they were 24/7 on-call and volunteers.
 
Everything local is volunteer here expect the DPW. It usually takes a while after a call goes in to dispatch because the guys have to hear the siren, drive to the station, wait for enough to show up for a response crew and then drive to the scene.
 
debodun said:
Everything local is volunteer here
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Same here; however, that has changed. Now we get a fire truck- from the city 12 miles away, a county deputy and the volunteer fireman in their own truck.

The city and county were seeking revenue, 'Hey us send the fire dept to all the yahoos in the country, bill Medicare and for the poor folk not on Medicare-we'll send them a
bill which they can't pay, soooo...we can increase property taxes.

The volunteer fireman continue to respond to all 911 medical calls. I don't know
why? Their a darn good group of people...
 
Same thing here. Every time somebody in my building needs an ambulance, a huge fire truck comes along too. I'm sure there is a genuine reason for this, but I don't know what it is.
 
Same here in Australia our neighbour died 12 months ago ( in July )

I live on a corner and their home is the 3 rd home up the street ,there was 2 police cars / fire/ and two ambulances one a small car that go’s out to assess the patient before the patient transport ambulance arrives . (Neighbour had already died before his wife called the ambulance) .

While all the other services were there the funeral place van came.

We live in a town of under 4.000 so we know what the big silver van is .

I know police are called to any sudden deaths in case of any suspicion surrounding the death however Rob had been very ill with cancer for a couple of years ,so why all the lights and sirens when a person gravely ill person dies I don’t know maybe I’ll ask our close friends who’s nephew is a paramedic and their son is a chief inspector in the police force
 
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Lewkat said:
In many communities a paramedic is a fireman and they carry a lot of life saving equipment. Not so strange.
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That right. Plus when there is an emergency call, all emergency crew are called. Fireman are often paramedics so it might be overkill but that’s how they work.
 
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debodun said:
I would have though the paramedic would be on the ambulance.
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When I had my car accident since I couldn't tell them if someone was hurt or not they sent both the ambulance & fire truck. And I think that other poster is right to some degree about the paramedics because ours are both firemen & paramedics here.
 
Kadee46 said:
Same here in Australia our neighbour died 12 months ago ( in July )

I live on a corner and their home is the 3 rd home up the street ,there was 2 police cars / fire/ and two ambulances one a small car that go’s out to assess the patient before the patient transport ambulance arrives . (Neighbour had already died before his wife called the ambulance) .

While all the other services were there the funeral place van came.

We live in a town of under 4.000 so we know what the big silver van is .

I know police are called to any sudden deaths in case of any suspicion surrounding the death however Rob had been very ill with cancer for a couple of years ,so why all the lights and sirens when a person gravely ill person dies I don’t know maybe I’ll ask our close friends who’s nephew is a paramedic and their son is a chief inspector in the police force
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When my mother died of cancer at home back in the early 80s, police came, as well as fire/rescue. I was my mother's caretaker and her oncologist had warned me that all those people would come because it was (probably still is) the law regarding any death that is not attended by a physician. I called him first when she died, as he had asked, and he notified authorities that a patient of his had died at home, as she had wished, and everybody came, but they were sympathetic and respectful.
 
When my mom passed in 2006, I called 911. The only person to show up was a sheriff's deputy that didn't seem to know what to do. Then I called the local rescue squad and they transported her to a hospital. I suppose even though she had probably been gone for an hour or two, they still have to attempt resuscitation . They pronounced her at the hospital after trying resuscitation again for a while.

Try not to pass away on a holiday weekend.
 
Extra manpower and resources are made available in a more timely manner. Many townships and boroughs here in PA also request a police officer be present at the scene in case the call for aid is not routine. For example; an assault occurred, serious injury like falling down steps, etc. I was called out on several “ambulance in route“ calls.
 
911 said:
Extra manpower and resources are made available in a more timely manner. Many townships and boroughs here in PA also request a police officer be present at the scene in case the call for aid is not routine. For example; an assault occurred, serious injury like falling down steps, etc. I was called out on several “ambulance in route“ calls.
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Hopefully it's ok to ask this question: in a building that's far from airtight, how far can airborne pathogens travel?
I'm more than creeped out after learning downstairs neighbor died and decomposing body was directly below me for around a week before it/he was found.
Adding to the concern is landlord is notoriously unconcerned, lazy, and cheap, and certainly wouldn't have bothered with Hazmat cleaning afterward, either.
 
You should see what happens when they call a code blue at the hospital. LOL! We had a visitor fall & he was still conscious & alert but the cashier called a code blue & 15 people poured off the elevator & into the dining room. It was pretty amazing.
 

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