What is Advanced Life Support (ALS)?
In addition to the Basic Life Support skills performed by Emergency Medical Technicians that might include bleeding control, splinting and oxygen therapy, our Paramedics perform significantly more advanced skills such as in-depth patient assessments, cardiac monitoring and evaluation, defibrillation and cardioversion, advanced airway maintenance such as intubation, drug administration and much more. All Pittsburgh EMS ambulances (medic units) are ALS and operate with at least two paramedics to deliver advanced life support care to ill or injured patients in need of medical help. Paramedics respond to all types of calls, from a person having trouble breathing downtown to a motor vehicle crash in one of our neighborhoods. Pittsburgh EMS has 13 ALS ambulances covering 88 city neighborhoods. Paramedics What are they? A paramedic is not just an ambulance driver and an ambulance is not just a quick ride to the hospital. Did you ever wonder why an ambulance is on scene with a patient in the b
