Our paramedics have been through emergency boot camp: Harborview Medical Center’s Emergency Room.
There, in the region’s busiest trauma center, they respond to at least 3,000 emergencies. Those thousands of calls prepare them to serve our community, which logs more than a thousand EMS calls per year. We also partner with Whatcom County EMS, Bellingham Fire Department and Bellingham Technical College to train our paramedics.
CIFR is an unusual department that incorporates the protocols of two counties into its operations. Dr. Krystal Baciak, the Medical Program Director at Island County, works closely with Dr. Eric Cooper, Snohomish County’s Medical Program Director. This close relationship helps the CIFR team follow the procedures and protocols of Snohomish County, whose hospitals they work in.
At Camano Island Fire & Rescue, all firefighters are trained as Emergency Medical Technicians and can provide basic life support measures.
In the videos below, our crews explain more about our EMS services, and the difference between an EMT and a Paramedic.