The Sheriff’s Office Deputy/Paramedic/EMT program was put into service in April 2012. This unit was designed to be a rapid response unit in an effort to provide fast effective medical care in the rural areas of Tuscaloosa County. This unit was started with 4 deputies and has since grown to 14 deputies. This unit works extensively with the volunteer fire departments to provide additional medical care when most departments are at their lowest manpower. The deputies assigned to this unit have many years of experience in different areas including law enforcement, EMS and firefighting. Once on scene, this unit provides medical care until relieved by medical personnel with equal or greater medical training. Typically this unit’s primary purpose is to arrive on scene, assess the situation, provide the proper medical treatment, and prepare the patient for transport if necessary. In addition to their medical duties, this unit also responds to vehicle accidents, multiple casualty incidents, domestic calls, burglar alarms, criminal offenses, and assisting other agencies. The goal is to offer the most advanced care during an emergency. These units typically work Monday through Friday and are supervised by Lt. Jeff Judd.