Calif. FD places ALS squad in high call volume area

The Bakersfield Californian

KERN COUNTY, Calif. — The new Medic Squad 42 apparatus was put into service Wednesday, replacing a temporary vehicle to serve an area of east Bakersfield that gets more than 5,000 emergency calls annually, according to the Kern County Fire Department.

Medic Squad 42, which began operating Jan. 12, is the third KCFD unit of its kind. It is assigned to Station 42.

It is staffed by a firefighter paramedic and a fire captain to provide 24-hour Advanced Life Support coverage, “enhancing the department’s ability to deliver critical pre-hospital care while ensuring surrounding stations remain available for additional emergencies,” KCFD said in a news release.

Measure K funds have allowed the department to increase ALS staffing with 13 additional paramedics in unincorporated areas of the county.

© 2025 The Bakersfield Californian (Bakersfield, Calif.)
Visit www.bakersfield.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Trending

Photo of the Week

Photo of the Week: New Texas EMS launches

San Marcos EMS, the new department staffed largely by familiar paramedics and EMTs, joins San Marcos police and fire as the city’s third emergency service

October 30, 2026 08:53 AM

 · 

EMS1 Staff

Billing and Administration

N.C. county’s $60 EMS subscription covers ambulance costs for a year

Wake County’s program eliminates out-of-pocket costs for emergency ambulance transport within the county for enrolled households, requires existing health insurance to join, and generates about $1.1 million annually for the county’s $92 million EMS budget

October 30, 2026 08:06 AM

911 and Dispatch

Calif. county launches 911 nurse triage program

Merced County’s new 911 Nurse Navigation program aims to free up ambulances for critical emergencies by directing non-life-threatening callers to urgent care, telehealth or home care options instead

October 30, 2026 08:18 AM

Search and Rescue

Coast Guard rescue swimmer recounts saving 16 from sinking boat off Mexico

Josh Law spent two hours alone in rough Pacific waters off Baja California, personally pulling 16 survivors to safety using the “buddy tow” technique, while 11 others were never found despite an 89-hour search

October 31, 2026 08:00 AM