EMS Management and Leadership

About the E.M.S. Bureau

Littleton Fire Rescue has a long history and proud tradition of providing high quality emergency medical services to the citizens that we serve. Littleton had the first paramedics in the State of Colorado dating back to 1973, before there was an official paramedic program or even paramedic text books. Former Deputy Chief Pete Cernich, the "godfather of EMS" at Littleton, is responsible for founding the paramedic program at Littleton Fire Rescue. Currently, Littleton Fire Rescue EMS has 60 paramedics (EMT-P) and 66 emergency medical technicians (EMT-B) on its staff providing emergency medical care.

The E.M.S. Bureau is managed by the E.M.S. Chief Wayne M. Zygowicz. Medical control is provided by Dr. Dylan Luyten , an emergency department physician at HealthOne Swedish Medical Center who serves as the agency's medical director. Day-to-day field medical functions are supervised by Littleton's 12 Paramedic/Lieutenants, four per shift, who provide management and leadership to all EMS operations.

Littleton Fire Rescue Communication Center personnel screen all calls as they come into the dispatch center using the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS). Communication specialists dispatch the appropriate and closest units using a state-of-the-art computer aided dispatch system (CAD) and the global positioning system (GPS) installed on all Littleton units.

Littleton Fire Rescue has a very unique EMS system utilizing a public-private partnership with a private ambulance company, Action Care Ambulance. Littleton Fire Rescue transports all critical and urgent advanced life support (ALS) patients immediately to all area hospitals. All other non-urgent patients are first stabilized by Littleton Fire Rescue personnel and then transferred to Action Care Ambulance for transport.

Littleton Fire Rescue uses the best medical equipment available on the market today. All medical personnel are well trained on the use of the Medtronic Physio-Control Life Pac 12. This is an advanced monitor-defibrillator with 12-lead capabilities, pulse oximeter, blood pressure monitoring and a built-in automated external defibrillator (AED).

The success of the EMS program at Littleton Fire Rescue is due to the knowledge, skills and dedication of its valued employees. Littleton has been providing great medical care for over 30 years to the communities we serve. There are links to short biographies of our EMS supervisors at the top of this page.