Hillsborough County Fire Rescue creates roving units division

Hillsborough County, Fla - Hillsborough County Fire Rescue (HCFR) is creating a new division of roving paramedics and ambulances.

"So they're going to start at a station in the morning and (get) supplies or whatever they need to do. And then from then on, they'll go to an area that we have pre-located," Hillsborough County Fire Rescue public safety information chief Rob Herrin said. "For example, there's one in central Brandon. There's one kind of in the north Brandon and Seffner area right now. There's one over by the University Mall. And they will stay in that area. They'll listen to the radio."

What we know:

The 10 units in this new Peak Rescue Division will respond to medical calls, like chest pains, difficulty breathing, and overdoses.  

With these roving units handling those types of calls, crews stationed at area fire stations will be free to respond to other emergencies. 

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"It's kind of a layer of protection and response that will happen in our most populated and the busiest areas of Hillsborough County," Herrin added.

The backstory:

Hillsborough County Fire Rescue has already been running this on a smaller scale with five roaming units as part of a pilot program. Last week, county commissioners approved additional resources for this new division, raising the total number of ambulances to 10. 

"They’re mobile," Herrin told FOX 13. "So we can play this chess game of putting them where they're the most needed."

With more ambulances in service thanks to this new unit, fire officials said the department can reduce some of its current reliance on third-party ambulance companies. Additionally, they expect the number of medical transports to increase – and therefore, the revenue, too.

"We will be able to kind of bring in income from billable transports from these peak units to offset the cost that it's costing taxpayers to run it," Herrin said.

According to an HCFR presentation on the new Peak Rescue Division, fire officials said they believe they’ll see this revenue returned over three years. 

Why you should care:

 HCFR officials said they’ve already seen these roving units reduce response times in their pilot program.

"We’ve seen a reduction of 42 seconds, which is about 7%. And I know in normal layman's terms, 42 seconds isn't a big deal," Herrin said. "But like my fire chief said last week, hold your breath for 42 seconds, and tell me if you want it to go a little faster." 

What's next:

Interested in applying to HCFR’s Peak Rescue Division? The goal is to have the new division operating in spring 2026. Click here to apply.