SACRAMENTO, Calif. - California’s Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid System, most often used in response to wildfires, floods, and other natural emergencies, is now assisting in the state’s response to Covid-19.

Firefighter Paramedics and EMT’s are being deployed for a 14-day operational period to assist emergency rooms and other vital medical areas in some of the most impacted hospitals in California. These highly trained firefighters have been requested through the California Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid System, coordinated by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES).

Since the program began on December 30, 2020, 16 Firefighter Paramedics and 6 Firefighter EMT’s have been deployed to California hospitals. They include:

Region 1 – UC Irvine Medical Center
8 paramedics pending

Region 2 – Petaluma Valley Hospital
3 paramedics from Solano County
6 EMT’s from Sonoma County

Region 5 – Kern Adventist Health
6 paramedics from Santa Clara County
2 paramedics from Contra Costa County
2 paramedics from Fresno County

Region 6 – Barstow Community Hospital
3 paramedics from Riverside County

Cal OES is continuing to deploy more firefighters across the state in response to the Covid-19 hospital surge, as needed.

The Cal OES Operations (Ops) Section under the Fire and Rescue Division coordinates The California Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid System. This coordinated response through the Mutual Aid System includes assistance during major fires, earthquakes, tsunamis, hazardous materials, and other disasters.