NCEMS Response

Our Operation

New Canaan's Emergency Responders Work Together

For every 911 medical emergency in New Canaan, the New Canaan Police Department and an NCEMS ambulance, with a minimum crew of two EMTs, is dispatched. If the emergency call is of a more serious nature, the paramedic will also be dispatched and will respond in the fly car. NCPD usually arrives first on scene and begins patient care. All New Canaan police officers are trained in CPR, the use of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), and carry oxygen and Narcan in their medical kits. Once the EMTs and paramedic arrive on scene, they take over patient care.

If an emergency call requires the expertise of the New Canaan Fire Department - motor vehicle accidents with hazardous spills or extrication required, for instance - they will be dispatched simultaneously with NCEMS. EMS will take over patient care once NCFD deems the scene safe. NCPD, NCFD, and New Canaan EMS work seamlessly together to ensure our patients receive rapid response and state of the art emergency care 24 hours a day, each and every day of the year.

New Canaan EMS responds to medical emergencies in one of our three fully-equipped ambulances. Our fleet also includes a fly car for paramedic response, and an SUV used primarily for provision of resources and medical care to NCFD at working fire emergencies in town. In addition, in the summer of 2019 we purchased an Ultra Terrain Vehicle ("UTV") which can be used on or off road and provides us with the opportunity to provide high quality care even in difficult to access locations (Family Fourth, etc).

NCEMS transports patients to Stamford Hospital and Norwalk Hospital. In most cases, destination hospital is determined by the patient and/or the patient’s family.

NCEMS Response Includes EMTs and a Paramedic

New Canaan EMS has approximately 50 members who are certified EMTs. Each active member is a volunteer who rides a regular weekly shift and attends monthly continuing medical education seminars.

In addition to our EMTs, our paramedic - a dedicated NCEMS resource, contractually provided by Norwalk Hospital and stationed at EMS headquarters 24 hours a day - will be dispatched to more serious medical emergencies. A paramedic is a more highly trained pre hospital care provider. Paramedics are licensed by the state under Federal guidelines after completing an intensive 1600-1800 hour course in Advanced Life Support medical care and can administer medications and provide other interventions beyond the scope of an EMT’s expertise.