City of Cambridge Emergency Medical Response

The Cambridge Fire Department, along with our EMS partners at Professional Ambulance, provide emergency medical service to the City of Cambridge 24 hours per day. 

All fire companies across the city are staffed with Firefighter/Paramedics, Firefighter/EMTs, and Firefighter/Medical First Responders. Five fire department units (Engines 1 and 3, Rescue 1, and Squads 2 and 4) are designated and licensed by the MA office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS) as ALS (Advance Life Support) companies.

For a serious medical emergency, the closest fire unit will be dispatched along with an ALS unit and Professional Ambulance. Note that if a ladder company is closest to the emergency, the ladder will be dispatched in order to provide the quickest response to the emergency. In the calendar year 2022, Cambridge Fire companies responded to 7892 emergency medical calls.

Training in all levels and aspects of emergency medical care is ongoing continually. 

The staff of the Cambridge Emergency Communications Department is also highly trained in emergency medical dispatch to ensure that appropriate units are urgently dispatched. The patrol officers of Cambridge Police are also trained in emergency medical care and provide assistance as needed.

The photo shows Engine 9 and Professional Ambulance servicing an emergency medical call early on a snowy morning.