While fighting fires may be the No. 1 function of the Clovis Fire Department, its ultimate goal is to save lives and as a first responder to thousands of medical calls each year. Fire Chief John Binaski said the survivability of patients in distress increases when paramedics arrive on the scene along with the fire truck, which often gets there before an ambulance.
Currently, the Clovis Fire Department responds to calls for medical aid with the three-person fire engine with one Emergency Medical Technician, Binaski said. These EMTs have 120 hours of training and are able to provide life-saving CPR, oxygen, oral glucose and assess trauma.