The Emergency Medical Dispatcher (EMD) will match symptoms, or combinations of symptoms, discovered through the Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch survey to send the appropriate emergency medical services personnel. The types of emergency medical responses are divided into four levels indicated as Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta.
In an Alpha response the closest Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulance provided by a private ambulance company is dispatched non-emergency to the incident.
In a Bravo response the EMD will dispatch a BLS ambulance along with a Tampa Fire Rescue engine company. Tampa Fire Rescue engine companies are staffed with highly trained Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) capable of responding to the incident location within three to four minutes. The engine companies will respond emergency to the incident and stabilize the situation prior to the arrival of the BLS ambulance.
In a Charlie response, a Tampa Fire Rescue Advanced Life Support (ALS) rescue company will be dispatched non-emergency. These rescue companies are staffed with two paramedics and work under the direction of the department medical director.
The highest level of response is the Delta response. This type of response is for life-threatening emergencies and an engine and rescue company will be dispatched. This gives Tampa Fire Rescue the capability of having three to four EMTs and two Paramedics at the scene of a medical emergency within three to four minutes.