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Merced Fire Department reports progress expanding paramedic-level response; Engine 51 to become full-time ALS Nov. 1
Summary
Fire Chief Casey Wilson and EMS Chief Brunelli told the council the city's first-responder advanced life support program now has 11 state-licensed paramedics in the field, with engine and squad units delivering hundreds of ALS interventions; staff said Engine 51 will be staffed 24/7 ALS beginning Nov. 1 and a fourth ALS unit is possible in 2026.
Fire Chief Casey Wilson and EMS Chief Brunelli presented an update Oct. 20 on Merced's first-responder advanced life support (ALS) program, summarizing training, staffing and response data and outlining the next steps to expand paramedic capabilities across the city.
Chief Brunelli said the city has 11 state-licensed paramedics operating in the field, seven additional personnel in training and five personnel accepted into the next Merced College paramedic cohort. From Jan. 1 through Aug. 31, Engine 53 responded to 992 medical calls, 261 of which involved ALS-level care. The squad placed in service March 3 made 735 medical responses and provided ALS-level care on 205 of those calls.
Brunelli said Engine 51 will become full-time ALS on Nov. 1 following the graduation of recruits currently in the academy, moving the city closer to 24/7 advanced coverage. With current staffing and expected training completions, Brunelli said a fourth ALS unit (engine 55) could be added in 2026, which would allow ALS coverage on an estimated 73% of EMS-related responses within city limits. The chiefs described a data-driven dispatch process that uses a determinants matrix and county medical director approvals to trigger paramedic responses.
Councilmembers asked about the gating factors for expanding ALS coverage; Brunelli said staffing and apparatus acquisition are the main limits, and that training timelines and equipment purchases are being balanced to meet operational needs. Chief Wilson added that squads present an efficiency advantage and that continuing integration with the new contracted ambulance provider may increase opportunities to recover some costs for ALS services.
The presentation was informational and required no council action.
