Sheboygan Fire Chief announces plan to carry blood on frontline ambulances

The Sheboygan Fire Chief told the Licensing, Hearings and Public Safety Committee the department will begin carrying blood on frontline ambulances following recent state approval of guidelines.

"We will be working towards carrying blood on our ambulances," the Fire Chief said, describing intended uses including severe trauma, significant gastrointestinal bleeds and patients in shock. The chief said the change is meant to increase survivability in high-risk cases.

The department has purchased safes and refrigeration units through grant funding, the chief said, and is coordinating with its medical-control hospital to develop protocols and staff training. "The hospital is going to write some protocols for that, which is what they need to do and train our staff members to do that," the chief said. Continued education for EMS personnel will be provided through existing training channels, and the Fire Chief said those costs were covered by grants or existing programs.

When asked about the program’s likely impact, the chief estimated approximately 11% of the department’s calls last year "could've used" blood, but cautioned the figure is a rough estimate and outcomes depend on injury severity.

The chief said the department is modeling its approach on Kenosha and emphasized that adoption depends on call volume and a hospital partner willing to accept unused units so they can be reused before expiration. The city intends to carry limited quantities on frontline units and to return near-expiry units to the hospital.

The committee took the announcement as informational; no formal vote was required on the clinical program at this meeting.