S.M.E.M.P.S.

The City of Mill Valley is a current and founding member of the Southern Marin Emergency Medical Paramedic System  (S.M.E.M.P.S.).  Through a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA), S.M.E.M.P.S was created to fill the need of medical and traumatic patients within the Southern Marin communities.  As a result of this unique community partnership, Mill Valley Fire Department operates an advanced life support ambulance (Medic 6) that is staffed with a firefighter and a firefighter paramedic available on a 24- hour basis.  Within Southern Marin County, each community is responsible for providing an element of emergency medical service to fulfill the needs of emergency patients.

S.M.E.M.P.S.  resources:

Medic 1                                                             
333 Johnson Street
Sausalito, CA 94965

Medic 10                                                                   
4301 Paradise Avenue
Tiburon, CA  94920

Medic 4    
309 Poplar Street
Mill Valley, CA 94941

Medic 6                                                                            
26 Corte Madera Avenue
Mill Valley, CA 94941

Rescue 9     ( medium duty rescue )
308 Reed Street
Mill Valley, CA 94941

Historically, seven jurisdictions formed S.M.E.M.P.S in 1980  to include: City of Mill Valley, Tamalpias Fire Protection District, Alto Richardson Bay Fire Protection District, Belvedere Fire Department, Marin County Fire Department and Sausalito Fire Department.  The jurisdictional landscape has changed since the first paramedics responded October 1, 1980 with five jurisdictions now participating.  In the beginning, Stanford University Hospital played an integral role in bringing paramedics to Marin County.  Many of the County's first paramedics were trained in this groundbreaking program that moved life saving procedures from the hospital emergency rooms to emergency patients in the field.  Even with that glorious start, S.M.E.M.P.S continues to lead the way within Marin County.  One of the first to operate 12 lead monitors ( heart attack detecting equipment) and continuous positive airway pressure ( CPAP ) devices, Southern Marin communities are leading the way with interventions not seen in other jurisdictions.

Initially, the limited paramedic resources were centrally located within Mill Valley, responding to medical 911 calls in an emergency squad ( light duty pickup with medical/rescue equipment).  Depending on the patient's condition, paramedics would join up with basic life-support ambulances to transport the sick and injured to their requested facility.  With the proliferation of paramedics, today's operations have decentralized throughout various communities.  Paramedics are serving on ambulances and fire engines throughout Southern Marin County acting as first responders and transporting ambulance attendants.  Further, the small paramedic squad that originally raced to various medical emergencies has increased in size and scope adding many technical rescue modalities.

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