Fire departments are best equipped to deliver emergency medical services, according to a new whitepaper, Prehospital 911 Emergency Medical Response: The Role of the U.S. Fire Service in Delivery and Coordination.

Released at the IAFF Dominick F. Barbera EMS Conference in Houston, Texas, June 24-27, the 13-page report -- written and prepared by top EMS physicians -- outlines the time-critical role fire-based EMS provides, and stresses the need to educate policymakers about the importance of fire-based EMS.