School of Health Professions

San Antonio Fire Department and Medical Direction

The Office of the Medical Director has been the medical direction team for the San Antonio Fire Department for over 49 years.  During that time the department has developed and implemented multiple initiatives that have been at the forefront of prehospital care including Mobile Integrated Healthcare/Community Paramedicine, prehospital whole blood administration, video assessment from dispatch, and prehospital sepsis recognition and treatment to name just a few.  Due to the advancements made, San Antonio Fire Department was named the EMS Service of the Year in 2019 at EMS World for their leading-edge care.   

A group of ambulances parked on a street

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The San Antonio Fire Department is a fire-based EMS agency with about 400 EMS paramedics and a total of 900 paramedics in the department.  About 900 Emergency Medical Technicians are bringing the total to 1800 uniformed members.  The OMD is responsible for online and offline medical direction as well as continuing education for the fire department. 

A group of firefighters putting out a fire

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In addition to the San Antonio Fire Department, the OMD maintains contracts with multiple high-performing agencies in the Alamo area and has a relationship with the Faculty at the Department of Emergency Medicine for the Long School of Medicine to provide Medical Directors to these agencies:

  • Bexar County ESD 2

  • Bexar County FRO which includes BECESD 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, Lytle, and China Grove

  • Boeing

  • Bulverde Spring Branch Fire and EMS

  • Cloverleaf Fire Department/Harris County ESD 12

  • Converse Fire Department

  • Helotes Fire Department

  • H.I.S Centre

  • Kerrville Fire Department

  • Leon Valley Fire Department

  • North Channel EMS/Harris County ESD 6

  • Pleasanton Fire Department

  • San Antonio Police Department Tactical Medic Program

  • Securitas/Toyota plant

  • Wilson County ESD 1 and 3

  • Wilson County ESD 4

  • Windcrest Fire Department