By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- Merced Fire Department announced August 11 that all five city fire stations now have a firefighter/paramedic on duty 24 hours daily, with Fire Station 52 completing the coverage mandate Monday morning.
- Federal grant funding supported creation of new paramedic positions to achieve continuous advanced life support capabilities across the department.
- Advanced life support enables paramedics to provide heart monitoring, medication administration, advanced airway management, and lifesaving treatment before hospital transport.
- Medical emergencies account for approximately 70% of calls handled by Merced Fire Department; the department responded to more than 12,700 calls in 2025 and projected to exceed 14,000 in 2026.
- Division Chief Mickey Brunelli stated that having paramedic availability at every station provides critical tools for response to medical emergencies.
MERCED, CALIF. — The Merced Fire Department announced August 11 that all five city fire stations now provide continuous paramedic coverage, with Fire Station 52 beginning 24-hour advanced life support operations Monday morning.
The expansion was facilitated through federal grant funding that enabled the department to staff new paramedic positions. Station 52 began providing advanced life support services at 8 a.m. Monday, completing the department’s transition to continuous paramedic availability across all stations.
Advanced life support capabilities enable firefighter/paramedics to provide heart monitoring, medication administration, advanced airway management, and other lifesaving treatment before patient transport to hospital facilities.
Division Chief Mickey Brunelli stated that achieving complete paramedic coverage represents a long-term operational goal. Brunelli emphasized that medical emergency response requires immediate paramedic availability and that having a paramedic at every station enhances the department’s capacity to provide optimal care to the community.
Medical emergencies constitute approximately 70% of calls handled by Merced Fire Department. The department responded to 12,700 calls for service in 2025, with call volume projected to exceed 14,000 in 2026, indicating continued demand growth for emergency medical services.
The paramedic expansion addresses growing medical call volume and ensures advanced life support capabilities are available for immediate response across the city’s service area.