Cascade City Fire Department Streamlines Non-Emergency Lift Calls

Non-emergency 'lift assist' calls — helping a fallen person who is uninjured back into a chair or bed — made up a significant share of Cascade City's daily dispatch volume.

After outfitting first-response vehicles with the portable Aeris Lift, crews could complete these calls with one firefighter instead of two, and in roughly a third of the previous time.

The department reported the freed-up capacity allowed faster turnaround for genuine emergency calls during peak hours.