EMS

The Hastings Fire Department provides Ambulance Service for approximately 180 square miles.  The Department’s service area includes the City of Hastings, the City of Vermillion, the City of Miesville, and the surrounding townships of Denmark, Nininger, Ravenna, Marshan, Vermillion, and a portion of Douglas.  The residential population of this service area is estimated to be about 32,000.  In addition, Hastings honors EMS mutual-aid agreements with the adjacent cities of Cottage Grove, Red Wing, Cannon Falls, and Prescott WI, as well as the City of Burnsville, HealthEast and ALF ambulance services.  In 2006, the ambulance service responded on 2,230 medical requests for service.

The Hastings Fire Department Emergency Medical Service provides 911 (emergency) service as well as inter-facility (both emergency and non-emergency) transports between our local hospital and hospitals in the Twin Cities.  The ambulance service works in close relationship with our local hospital, Regina Medical Center, which provides required physician Medical Direction, educational opportunities and needed supplies.  This close relationship and high degree of trust allows the ambulance service to transport the most critical patients from Regina Medical Center to other specialized facilities. 

A 911 response is staffed with a minimum of one Paramedic on board to provide Advanced Life Support (ALS) care to the patient.  ALS care includes such things as; endotracheal intubation, interpretation of cardiac rhythms, external pacing, medication administration, chest decompression, and surgical airways.  Inter-facility transports are staffed based on the needs of the patient being transported.  If no advanced care is needed, the crew will consist of three EMT’s who will provide basic life support (BLS) care for the patient.  If advanced skills are needed, there will be a minimum of one Paramedic on the crew to provide the needed ALS care.

All of our Paramedics and EMT’s are certified by the Minnesota Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board in accordance with the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians standards and continuing education / testing requirements.  Dr. Lawrence Erickson from Regina Hospital in Hastings provides medical direction for the ambulance service.  Treatment guidelines and continuing medical education is provided by the Dakota County Emergency Medical Services, which is comprised of all of the ambulance services that provide service to the residents of Dakota County.