Memphis Fire Dept

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About 8 or 9 years ago, Tampa instituted "Advanced Triage Units" or ATU's. They were Ford Expeditions bought from the city fleet contract so they were solid white, to which our shops added simple graphics and a light bar/siren. Unlike the name, "advanced", they chose to staff them with two FF/EMT's, so the rigs were BLS not ALS ???. They were placed under the command of Engine 1 and Engine 13, two of our busier companies, designed to take some of the EMS workload from the Engine Cos. which are ALS ????. However, under the Medical Priority Dispatch protocol which TFR uses, they could only respond to the most minor of EMS incidents. Most EMS calls had some sort of cardiac or respiratory element so the ALS Engine would respond with one of our Rescue/Ambulances????? As well, any vehicle crash, traumatic injury, etc. would get the ALS Engine for hazard control and/or manpower. So needless to say the ATU's failed miserably whereas they really weren't designed, equipped or staffed to do musch more than BLS. The concept didn't even give us two more Firefighters during fire or rescue operations because the guys were pulled from neighboring engines or trucks by dropping those companies down to three total. Originally they were to be used by the Truck Cos. as alternate vehicles, but our Local fought against it and settled for the ATU trial instead. Stay away from the alternate vehicle concept, it may work in the west for some reason, but cross staffing in most departments is a slippery slope.