Hillsborough County Fire Rescue will add 10 peak-hour ALS units and 48 new positions by 2026, aiming to reduce reliance on private ambulances

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Hillsborough County Fire Rescue is launching a new Peak Rescue Division made up of roving paramedic ambulance crews aimed at improving response times to medical emergencies and transports across the county.

The county said in a press release that the new division will add 48 positions, including 20 rescue lieutenants and 26 paramedics, overseen by a section chief and a training officer. The Peak Rescue Division will operate under the existing Rescue Division and is expected to be up and running by spring 2026. County commissioners approved the new division and the purchase of five new rescue units.

| MORE: 3 fire service myths: Data, response times and coverage equity

The new division will field 10 mobile units that will roam instead of posting at fire stations, operating 12 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays. The units will be in service from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., the peak window for emergency call volume.

With the added units, the department expects to reduce its dependence on third-party ambulance providers. Although medical transports are projected to rise, officials say the resulting transport revenue will help offset the cost of operating the new division.

Hillsborough County Fire Rescue tested a five-unit roaming EMS pilot in May 2024 using existing crews to cover peak hours, and officials say it successfully cut response times, in some cases getting units on scene up to two minutes faster than station-based ambulances during high-demand periods.

Has your department tried roaming peak-hour units or similar deployment models to reduce response times? What worked, what didn’t and what advice would you give departments considering a shift like this?

FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker says concerns over antisemitic rhetoric and protest responses led him to resign

December 01, 2025 04:49 PM

Three Marion County firefighters and one paramedic face felony charges after allegedly stripping, beating and waterboarding a 19-year-old co-worker at Fire Station 21 in Ocala

December 01, 2025 09:56 AM

A falling interstate sign crushed a vehicle on I-77 South, seriously injuring two people and forcing a seven-hour shutdown

December 01, 2025 04:49 PM

A natural gas-fed roof fire sent thick black smoke over downtown Raleigh but was extinguished in about 30 minutes

December 02, 2025 07:17 AM

AT&T’s FirstNet deployable network provides mission-critical connectivity through mobile satellite solutions and portable infrastructure

November 03, 2025 11:04 AM