Blaine Hill Volunteer Fire Company: Quick Response Service receives certification

By Christine Haines

chaines@yourmvi.com

The Blaine Hill Volunteer Fire Company’s Quick Response Service is certified for another three years of operation following a state inspection this past week.

“Every three years the same state agency that licenses the ambulance services certifies us as well,” said Robert Zirkle, the Quick Response Service lieutenant and certified physician’s assistant with the Blaine Hill VFC.

Zirkle said the inspection includes the vehicle, equipment and roster review so members of the public know they will get the same  high level of response from the volunteer firefighters on the QRS that they will receive once an ambulance arrives on the scene.

“There are a number of fire departments around the Mon Valley where firefighters are also trained to respond to life-threatening/limb-threatening emergencies,” Zirkle said. “There are more fire houses around than ambulance services and firefighters often beat the ambulances to the scene.”

Zirkle said earlier this year his department was able to apply a life-saving tourniquet to a person who had cut his arm with an electric power saw. Zirkle said the QRS vehicle is stationed at the Blaine Hill fire station and is within 1 to 3 minutes driving time of every residence in the Blaine Hill service area.

The Blaine Hill VFC has been in existence since 1932. It was one of eight fire departments operating in the township at one time, each with its own ambulance service. There are now four fire departments operating in the township. 

Zirkle said the fire department ambulance services were detached from the fire companies and became the Elizabeth Township Area EMS in 1993. Blaine Hill created its QRS in 2014.

“While we do not have a transporting ambulance, we do have the identical trained state-certified EMS responders and much of the same life-saving equipment and supplies to initiate first aid and basic cardiovascular life support (BCLS) care until an ALS ambulance crew arrives,” Zirkle said.

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