El Dorado County Fire Places Medic 48 Into Service

June 1, 2026

El Dorado County Fire Protection District is proud to announce that Medic 48 was officially placed into service today at Station 48, located on Missouri Flat Road near El Dorado Road.

Medic 48 is the newest Advanced Life Support ambulance added to the West Slope emergency medical services system. The unit enhances access to essential emergency medical services for residents, businesses, and visitors throughout the West Slope communities.

The ambulance was awarded to El Dorado County Fire by the El Dorado County Emergency Services Authority following a competitive Request for Proposals process conducted in late 2025 and early 2026. The JPA Board of Directors voted unanimously on March 10, 2026, to award operation of the ninth West Slope ALS ambulance to El Dorado County Fire. With this addition, the District now operates six of the nine ambulances serving the West Slope system.

The addition of Medic 48 is an important step in strengthening local emergency response capacity and supporting the long-term reliability of the regional EMS system. As emergency medical service demand continues to increase, the additional ambulance will help keep more units available within the communities they serve, reduce system strain, support existing ambulances, and decrease the need for system move-ups between districts during periods of high call volume.

Medic 48 is staffed with licensed paramedics and emergency medical technicians using the District’s Paramedic Ambulance Operator staffing model, which has been successfully implemented on other ambulance units within the system.

“We are proud to place Medic 48 into service and further strengthen access to essential emergency medical services for the residents and visitors of El Dorado County,” said Fire Chief Brad Gates. “This unit represents the continued collaboration between the JPA, El Dorado County, our fire agency partners, and our healthcare system. We appreciate the confidence placed in County Fire and remain committed to providing timely, high-quality, and reliable emergency medical care to the communities we serve.”

Medic 48 will serve the Missouri Flat, Diamond Springs, Placerville, and surrounding West Slope communities while supporting the broader regional EMS system.

The District thanks the El Dorado County Emergency Services Authority, El Dorado County, our healthcare partners, and our regional fire service partners for their continued collaboration in expanding and strengthening emergency medical services throughout the county.