EMS Week: A look inside Rural Metro’s work alongside other first responders

This week marks Emergency Medical Services week.

One local agency ready to assist all surrounding agencies is Rural Metro, who has stations all over Yuma County.

Rural Metro firefighters and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) can be seen in our mountains rescuing hikers and even on rare occasions, serving on the front lines of our ongoing border crisis when they receive the call.

Telegraph Pass is an area where Rural Metro and Border Patrol work alongside one another.

Rural Metro said in April, there were four calls for rescues from hikers at the trail.

Dan O’Connor, a firefighter and EMT, explained what a call looks like when assisting another agency.

“They kind of show us and tell us what they need. We work independently of them with the kind of saying this is what we have these are our patients. This is what I think we have to go on and we call in our resources as we need them,” said O’Connor.

And although rare, there have been instances where Rural Metro assists with illegal crossings.