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Littleton's 'Quick Cars' Save Time, Free Up Other Emergency Vehicles

LITTLETON, Colo. (CBS4) - It's a new twist on an old service. Littleton Fire Rescue is launching two new programs to get emergency crews out the door faster, safer and with the goal of saving the department and its patients money.

QUICK CARS
A Littleton Fire Rescue "Quick Car" (credit: CBS)

Littleton Fire Rescue is one of the first to use what they call a "Quick Car." When traditional fire trucks and medic units are sent out, a lot of wear and tear happens to the trucks, and the apparatus can be held up from fighting fires. But the Quick Car may be the fix.

In an emergency, seconds matter. So does making sure people get the right kind of medical care. It's why fire departments send medic units and fire engines in tandem. But an ambulance ride can cost a bundle.

"Of course I expected it, but not $800," said Marian Weiss of Lakewood.

Weiss is on a fixed income and now making monthly payments after a private ambulance company drove her just a few blocks in Lakewood. The hefty bill is a common problem.

"Were trying to find new ways to provide our service and keep our cost low," Littleton Fire Chief Chris Armstrong said.

Armstrong says their two SUVs are equipped with a paramedic, an emergency medical technician and essentials tools. The Quick Cars are an alternative to using emergency resources to respond to non-emergency calls.

"Our dispatchers ask a series of questions of our callers. We identify the priority of the call. The higher the priority, they get the larger type units and the transport units," Armstrong said. "The lower type priority calls, such as a headache or a twisted ankle, or something along those lines, we send the Quick Car. We do a full evaluation of the patient, we make a determination at that point if transport is needed."

Sending Quick Cars means fire trucks and medic units are available to respond faster to more serious situations like a fire.

"We've increased their availability by 4 percent," Armstrong said.

Quick Cars can get into locations easier and faster. On a ride-along with Littleton Fire Rescue a woman fell off her bike on a path. The Quick Car was easy to maneuver. The calls they are going out on are running the gamut.

"Police assist, psychiatric patients, patients that are intoxicated that really don't need an ambulance transport, but need to be medically cleared by a paramedic," Rob Brownfield with Littleton Fire Rescue said.

"They're running a lot of fire alarms, (carbon monoxide) alarms; they're running motor vehicle accidents," Armstrong said.

"A chronic diabetic patient that's had diabetes for 30 years but doesn't want that large ambulance bill, but were able to go and treat them and let them stay at home," Michael Ryan with Littleton Fire Rescue said.

Michael Ryan Quick Car
Michael Ryan with Littleton Fire Rescue shows off the equipment in a "Quick Car" (credit: CBS)

Starting in October Littleton Fire Rescue will also add a "Care Car." Those will be equipped with a physician assistant and a paramedic. The physician assistant will be able to treat people on the scene if they don't need a hospital.

A new fully equipped fire truck can run about $1 million. A Quick Car with all the gear can cost about $90,000.

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