On October 12, 2011, the South Lyon Fire Department passed inspection and received approval from the Michigan Department of Community Health Emergency Medical Services Section to start providing non-transport Basic Life Support (BLS) services in response to calls for emergency medical assistance.

SLFD personnel who are licensed Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) have completed nearly 200 hours of classroom instruction, in addition attending to clinical shifts working in an emergency room and on an ambulance. With this increase in the level of pre-hospital care, firefighters will be able to perform more advanced emergency medical interventions such as blood glucose testing, advanced airway management via esophageal-tracheal intubation, and administration of epinephrine (via auto-injector) for severe allergic reactions.

Advanced Life Support (ALS) transport services will continue to be provided within the City by Huron Valley Ambulance. HVA staffs its ambulances with paramedics who are capable of even more advanced pre-hospital emergency medical care.

The upgrade of the South Lyon Fire Department from the Medical First Responder level to BLS was completely funded by a grant awarded earlier this year from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant program.