All City of Madison Fire Department firefighters are licensed as State of Wisconsin Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) to partner with our paramedics on significant medical calls to provide initial care at most incidents. In addition, there are more than 90 firefighters licensed as State of Wisconsin paramedics. Paramedics receive extensive training and are able to provide Advanced Life Support to our patients.

The Madison Fire Department has nine paramedic ambulances in service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Each ambulance is staffed with two paramedics. Ambulances are located at Stations 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, and 14. On any given day, and throughout the year, the ambulances are the busiest units in the department. The Madison Fire Department is proud to be the original paramedic-level provider in Dane County and one of the oldest programs in the nation.

Annually, emergency medical calls comprise more than 70% of our overall emergency responses. We provide service to the City of Madison, Town of Blooming Grove, Town of Burke, Village of Shorewood Hills, and Town of Madison.

In addition to responding to all requests for emergency medical calls, ambulances also respond to structure fires and other fire-related incidents to perform multiple fire ground operations such as fire suppression, search and rescue, and other assignments.

Firefighters go through rigorous training to become Firefighter/Paramedics. More than nine months are spent in training before individuals are eligible for National Registry exams and State of Wisconsin Licensure. Once licensed, paramedics participate in ongoing continuing education led by our Medical Director, as well as courses such as the American Heart Association's Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, and Pediatric Advanced Life Support. In addition, all paramedics work closely with the Training Division to assure that the highest quality medical care is provided by all Department members.

The paramedics receive their initial training through established programs at Madison College. Then they complete extensive field training in many clinical sites at local Madison area hospitals as well as alongside their future partners on MFD ambulances. In addition, they are studying the department protocols and procedures that are used throughout the process.

The EMS system operates under a formal set of treatment protocols and plans overseen by the Department's Medical Director Dr. Megan Gussick and Associate Medical Director Jesse Jamieson, PA-C.

The MFD/Dane County protocols are utilized by all municipal EMS agencies in Dane County and are a cornerstone of state-of-the-art patient care.

County-wide ALS (Paramedic) Agreement

As part of the Dane County EMS System, the Madison Fire Department works closely with all EMS services. This consortium of ALS (Paramedic) providers assures Dane County residents of a system providing consistent level, high-level patient care.

Under this agreement, ALS (paramedic) care is provided by the closest available ALS ambulance as determined by Priority Medical Dispatch without regard to jurisdictional boundaries. This program ensures that patients will receive the closest and quickest response for the most life-threatening situations.