Wichita residents could see a substantial shift in the way first responders handle thousands of medical calls to 911 each year.
Early next year, the Wichita Fire Department will test sending emergency medical technicians on “what some have called band aids and aspirin” medical calls, Mayor Jeff Longwell said at a recent City Council meeting.
The fire department gets about 18,000 of those calls a year, Deputy Fire Chief Brad Crisp said. Almost all of the city’s firefighters have medical training, and the fire department responds to all medical calls. When a call comes in, the department sends whatever closest truck is available.