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Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical (LDCFM) is an organization that provides fire, rescue, prevention and special operations services to the City of Lawrence, Kansas, and also provides Emergency Medical Services to Lawrence and all of Douglas County, Kansas. Located approximately 40 miles west of Kansas City along the Kansas River, Lawrence is currently a freestanding community of approximately 89,850 people, plus 25,000 students attending the University of Kansas and Haskell Indian Nations University during the school year. The entire County, including the City of Lawrence, has a population of 113,488. The City of Lawrence has a Public Protection Classification Rating of “Class 2” by the Insurance Services Office. This is the best in the state, shared by only four other cities in Kansas. 

History
The town of Lawrence was chartered on February 20, 1858 in the Kansas Territory. In 1859, the Lawrence Fire Medical Department was first organized as the “Republic Engine Company No. 1.” This volunteer fire company was formed after purchasing a steam engine and hose cart from St. Louis, Missouri. On January 29, 1861, Kansas became a state and shortly thereafter, the Republic Engine Company No.1 was disbanded because of a lack of funds from the city due to the Civil War. In 1868, after constant pressure and persuasion for better fire protection from local businessmen, the city council created a volunteer fire Department deemed the Head Center Hose Company. The initial firehouse, the “old engine room”, was a barn at 11th and Vermont. In 1869 the Head Center Hose Company moved to the Market Building that became City Hall at 8th and Vermont. The fire station has remained at this location for 137 years, and is still operating as Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical Station No. 1 today. A breakthrough in Lawrence community fire protection occurred in 1915 as the Head Center Hose Company became the fully paid Lawrence Fire Department. As the years passed by, changes were made in the programs and services offered by the Lawrence Fire Department. For example, in the 1950’s, the Lawrence Fire Department received an E & J Resuscitator from the Sertoma Club of Lawrence, and started its first response to people needing resuscitation. In the early 1970’s, the Douglas County Ambulance Service began providing paramedic ambulance service for all of Lawrence and Douglas County. A merger of the Douglas County Ambulance Service with the Lawrence Fire Department in 1997 created the current Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical Department.

Staffing
Currently staffed with 139 uniformed and six non-uniformed personnel operating out of five Lawrence fire stations and one Douglas County ambulance station, the Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical Department works diligently to maintain balance and the quality of life that Lawrence has built over the years. Ninety-four percent of department members are either EMTs (59%) or Paramedics (35%). In addition being on the ambulances, EMTs are also staffed on each fire apparatus. Personnel are cross-trained and generally switch between riding a fire appartus and a medic unit on a regular basis. The fire engine crew can provide a similar level of care as the ambulance, with the exception of transport. Many times, given the call volume of the department, simultaneous calls may be received which means that ambulances are committed to a medical emergency. In these situations, one of the fire apparatus can arrive more quickly to begin life saving care. When a life-threatening condition occurs, such as sudden cardiac arrest or severe allergic reaction, minutes, even seconds make the difference. The fire engine crew can respond and begin treatment to prepare the patient for transportation before an ambulance arrives. The medics on the fire engine are capable of completing these tasks because of the equipment in place on each fire engine.

Apparatus
The department operates with four Quints, one Engine plus two in reserve, one Ladder plus one in reserve, six Medic Units plus five in reserve, one Tender, five Utility vehicles, two Brush Trucks, two Gators (1 fire, 1 EMS), two Confined Space Rescue Trailers, six watercraft (2 Inflatables, 3 flat bottomed boats and 1 Rapid Deployment Craft), one portable air trailer with cascade system and diesel powered compressor, one Safety House, and one Shift Commander vehicle plus one in reserve.