New tools will assist EMS in Lewisville, Coppell From the cover
BY DESTINE GIBSON & CONNOR PITTMAN
A closer look
Diving in deeper
The bottom line
The overview
Coppell fire stations Lewisville fire stations Area hospitals
paramedic certification program. He added that the department has a future goal of having one critical care paramedic per medical emergency call received. “Any time that we can build our knowledge base, we feel that that’s important for us to be able to give the best care to our citizens,” McDowell said. McDowell said around 61% of the department’s calls in 2023 were for EMS.
Lewisville’s EMS division transports patients to several area hospitals; however, the majority are sent to Medical City Lewisville, Thetford said. The destination is dependent upon the patient’s needs, their location and the hospital’s capabilities. “If [patients] request to go to a [specific] hospital, we usually try to honor it,” he said. “The times that we don’t [are] if it’s really busy. It just really varies by the type of call.” McDowell said the Coppell Fire Department primarily works with Baylor Scott & White Medical Center-Grapevine, Medical City Las Colinas and Medical City Lewisville. Lewisville has mutual aid agreements with surrounding cities and often works with nearby departments, including Coppell, Thetford said. For example, if all eight of Lewisville’s ambulances are in use, dispatchers will call surrounding cities for help, and vice versa. Communication is key to a strong and effective partnership with local EMS teams, Palmer said.
On average, about 67% of Lewisville’s emer- gency calls are EMS related, according to depart- ment data. Thetford said Lewisville has received a higher volume of calls overall due to population growth. “When I started here, we were probably only doing about 8,000 calls a year, and now we’re doing close to 14,000 or 15,000 calls a year,” he said. McDowell said the department has put 10 individuals through a more advanced critical care
To address future needs, both departments have prioritized training and additional infrastructure. Coppell City Council is expected to approve the remaining funds for the $12.5 million con- struction of Fire Station No. 5. Officials expect the station to provide additional fire and EMS coverage within the city. The fire station is expected to open no later than next summer. Kris Powell, director of emergency services for Baylor Scott & White, said their hospitals collaborate with emergency services in Lewis- ville and Coppell for service and training—the state requires continual training every four years for EMTs and paramedics to remain certified. “Our teams continuously prepare to provide care for our communities during a variety of situations,” Powell said.
Pulsara, a telehealth communication platform, is now required for Texas hospitals but optional for fire departments, said Steven Palmer, EMS coordinator at Medical City Lewisville. “Pulsara...basically allows [EMS] to send pictures or vital signs of a patient’s condition in real time,” said Robert Baca, EMS liaison at Baylor Scott & White’s Grapevine location. McDowell said the Coppell Fire Department is working to have Pulsara available on all cellphones used on the department’s ambulances and fire engines by the end of 2025, which carries no additional cost to the city. Lewisville has not fully adopted Pulsara yet; however, the department is adding other software. “With this [new automated dispatch] system, as soon as [the call taker] gets enough information in and sends it, then a computer just comes over the radio and starts dispatching,” Thetford said.
LEWISVILLE LAKE
Medical City - Lewisville
121
Lewisville
121
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Grapevine
35E
PGBT TOLL
114
Coppell
Comparison of EMS calls for service 2018-23
Coppell
Lewisville
114
635
10K 8K 6K 4K 2K 0
+19.94%
97
9,882
9,568
9,406
8,471
8,387
121
Medical City - Las Colinas
7,977
161
348
360
183
2,400
2,244
2,123
1,898
1,861
1,786
114
+28.96%
N
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2018
SOURCES: CITY OF COPPELL, CITY OF LEWISVILLE/COMMUNITY IMPACT
THE COLONY 4901 Hwy 121 (214) 469-2113
LEWISVILLE 2416 S Stemmons Fwy (214) 488-0888
IRVING 1900 Market Place Blvd (214) 379-4695
Powered by FlippingBook