Fire-Rescue is the sole 9-1-1 provider of Emergency Medical Services within Colleton County and is licensed as an Advanced Life Support (Paramedic Level) Emergency Medical Service. Each ambulance is staffed by Emergency Medical Technicians, at least one being of the Paramedic level. All ambulances are equipped with modern equipment to include cardiac medications, 12-Lead ECG, CPAP, Lucas Devices and advanced airway management. All units have the ability to perform Rapid Sequence Intubation (RSI) in extreme emergencies. Additionally, seven other vehicles are designated as ALS First Response units to extend pre-hospital medical care and all staffed Fire Engines have crossed trained personnel on board.

As an emergency pre-hospital responder, Fire-Rescue does not perform non-emergency transports, such as doctor’s office calls, return trips from the hospital to a residence or nursing home. Inter-facility transports, from one hospital to another, are typically handled by a private ambulance or helicopter service.

Fire-Rescue operates nine Paramedic Ambulances with eight serving Colleton’s mainland and one ambulance stationed on Edisto Island to serve this Atlantic Coastal community. From late Spring to early Fall, Fire-Rescue operates a tenth full-time ambulance on Edisto Island.  The mainland ambulances usually transport all patients to Colleton Medical Center , the only hospital located in Colleton County . Critical patients are generally stabilized and later transferred by private ambulance or medical helicopter to another facility. The Edisto ambulances, generally transport to the closest appropriate Charleston County hospital.

First responder, pre-hospital basic and advanced life support is provided by a vast medical first responder network. From each local fire station, volunteer and career firefighters respond at a moment’s notice to those suffering from life threatening medical emergencies. All full-time career employees are cross-trained as firefighters and the various levels of Emergency Medical Technicians. Many volunteer personnel have also trained to these levels, as well as Emergency Medical Responder and CPR. All first out Fire Engines in Colleton County are equipped with an assortment of medical equipment including AEDs (Automatic External Defibrillators). This allows the closest fire station from any specific community to quickly reach those in need, while the Paramedic Ambulance is enroute to the scene. 

Critical trauma patients, those suffering STEMI related Heart ailments or Strokes are usually flown directly to one of three Trauma or Specialty Centers in the region. Medical helicopters from one of the two services are utilized for this purpose. Each is staffed with a pilot, paramedic and flight nurse. C.A.R.E. (Colleton Air Rescue Evac) Flight, a collaborative air ambulance program with Med-Trans Corporation, is stationed at Colleton Medical Center in Walterboro.