Trending Topics

Calif. FD places ALS squad in high call volume area

The Kern County Fire Department designed Medic Squad 42 for rapid use and resupply

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
New FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore says low EMS pay is hurting recruitment and retention as medical calls make up the majority of the department’s workload
A proposal to add civilian ambulance drivers to Lockport’s fire-based EMS system ignited a public dispute over overtime, staffing models and accountability
With the 2026 Winter Olympic Games underway, check out these first responders who served both locally and on the international stage
Mentor Public Schools, the Mentor Fire Department and Lakeland Community College have partnered to give high school students hands-on EMS training, college credit and a path to EMT certification before graduation