Working Side by Side with Berkeley Fire

Jacob Sarasohn
Sep 10
2 min read

Updated: Sep 15

Royal Ambulance BLS unit parked beside a Berkeley Fire engine on a residential street, symbolizing their integrated role in Berkeley’s 911 system

Six months into our shared mission, a dedicated Royal BLS unit is helping keep Berkeley’s emergency response system moving while building strong ties with the crews we serve alongside.

Half a year ago, we placed a Royal unit inside Berkeley’s 911 system. Not as visitors. Not as an outside resource called in only when the need grows. As part of the emergency response system.

Royal Ambulance EMTs preparing their BLS unit for psychiatric transport in Berkeley

If you live in Berkeley, you already know this part. The Fire Department runs its own ambulances and transports at the paramedic level. Engines and medic units roll from the same department and answer medical calls all day. It is a strong model that serves a busy city.

Our place in the system is clear. A Basic Life Support ambulance with two EMTs focused on psychiatric transports. Often, that means 5150 holds to facilities like John George Psychiatric Hospital. We move within the same dispatch flow as every other resource, responding the moment the call comes in.

Why build a unit like this? Because psychiatric calls take time. Scenes require care and calm. When our crew handles these transports, Berkeley Fire’s engines and ALS ambulances get back in service faster. That gives the city more capacity for strokes, cardiac arrests, and fires. It is a way to return valuable minutes to the system so they can be spent where they matter most.

We have a history with Berkeley Fire through workforce pathways like our Career Bridge Program. This partnership builds on that connection. It is a way for us to contribute in a role that matters and a way for them to focus where they are needed most.

Fire chief leads a meeting in a classroom, with #ruletogether on the wall. Attendees listen attentively, seated at desks.

In these first six months, our job has been clear. Be ready when the call comes. Move quickly. Make sure the right patient reaches the right level of care. Keep the system moving by playing our part well. Success is not measured in how many transports we complete but in whether the system stays fluid, engines stay available, and patients get timely care.

We stage, we load, we move. Fire returns to service, and the patient reaches the right door without drama. And for me, it is exciting to work side by side with the fire department, to be part of that response, and to see how the system comes together, says - EMT Matt L.

Our team is grateful for the chance to partner with Berkeley Fire, says Hasieb Lemar, our president. This work helps the system, it helps our EMTs grow in a high-standard environment, and it helps us learn from a department we admire. We are proud of the early impact and eager to keep listening and improving together.

Two EMTs in uniform sit in an ambulance, smiling and conversing. Sunlight filters through the window, and parked cars are visible outside.

If you lead a public agency or a hospital, this is the heart of the idea. Match the right resource to the right patient every time. Keep governance and accountability local. Use the existing dispatch fabric so nothing feels bolted on. And make sure partnerships like this leave the system stronger than it was before.

We are six months in. We feel welcomed by our partners, and we are learning fast. The focus stays narrow, psychiatric transports are done quickly, safely, and with respect for everyone involved. The goal stays broad, a city where the next call gets the right response without delay.