On July 1, the Village of Bellevue officially joined the fire department with its EMS. The combining of the two branches of emergency services had been in the works for several months.
Mark Jordan, who’s been fire chief since January and a member of the department for 13 years, knew this was a task he wanted to accomplish quickly upon being named fire chief. It took the span of Jordan’s first few months as fire chief for the fire department to get approval from the townships, counties, and state.
The reasoning behind the change is simple, according to Jordan. Several members of the fire department, including Jordan, were already trained in EMS. Due to the frequent need for both fire fighters and EMS the double trained responders were receiving calls for both fire and EMS.
Jordan believes that combining the departments was necessary and beneficial. Since the change was made Jordan can now send fire fighters away in a medical response vehicle. The department will also soon have a license for a second medical vehicle. The addition will also allow for faster response time, as well as more effective response.
Firefighters won’t be forced to have EMS training, although the department will encourage the training moving forward. Already there are six members of the fire department who are receiving the additional training, according to Jordan.
The personnel of both teams will not change. The Bellevue residents can expect the same faces, crucial safety measures, and timely response. The measure in Bellevue is a fairly common trend, according to Jordan. To learn more about the Bellevue Community Fire Department and the addition of EMS to the department, readers are encouraged to call (269) 763-3262.
