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

Mass Casualty Incidents

2 dead, 11 injured after vehicle plows through Kan. soccer field during game

A 6-year-old boy and a 35-year-old man were killed and 11 others, ages 5 to 68, were hospitalized when a 34-year-old woman drove a truck through a youth soccer game in Wichita

October 18, 2026 07:17 AM

Mental Health

Mo. first responders confront trauma, alcohol culture through peer support

As KCFD handles about 400 calls a day, union-run program 42 CARES offers confidential counseling for firefighters coping with cumulative trauma

October 18, 2026 07:17 AM

Military

Inside the $73M race to build synthetic blood for the battlefield

With just 36 minutes to save a hemorrhaging patient and most trauma victims never receiving blood before reaching a hospital, DARPA’s new $73 million RAPIID initiative aims to deploy freeze-dried plasma, platelets and red blood cells by 2029

October 18, 2026 07:17 AM

International

Several dead, injured after fire at Canadian military base

Canada’s defense minister confirmed casualties after a major fire broke out at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, with high winds spreading flames and hospitals reporting they were overwhelmed by the number of patients

October 18, 2026 07:54 AM

 · 

Bill Carey