The DeKalb County Fire Rescue Department has added a new rapid response vehicle to Station 21 in Dunwoody. This brings to five the total number of rapid response vehicles in the countywide fleet now in service. Rapid response vehicles are staffed by two DeKalb firefighters trained to stabilize patients until an ambulance arrives. DeKalb firefighters who are licensed Emergency Medical Technicians or paramedics are frequently the first to respond to a medical emergency. They are trained to treat conditions that require immediate life-saving actions, such as major bleeding. “Our firefighters are often the first on the scene, and the most critical point of emergency response is how quickly first responders can initiate lifesaving care and stabilize patients,” DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond said.