Lincoln Fire and Rescue Launched Blood Program

The department now carries packed red blood cells on EMS-1 to improve survival rates for local trauma patients.

Updated on Sept. 28, 2026 in Stroke

A close-up of a sterile medical transport cooler and specialized equipment used for blood storage in emergency vehicles. — Lincoln Fire and Rescue has begun equipping EMS units with packed red blood cells to improve trauma patient survival rates. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should emergency responders in your area be equipped to provide blood transfusions before reaching hospitals?

Lincoln Fire and Rescue has begun carrying two bags of packed red blood cells on EMS units to treat trauma patients experiencing significant blood loss. The initiative utilizes specialized storage to maintain critical oxygen-carrying blood products in the field.

Why it matters

Saline solutions previously used by responders lack the oxygen-carrying capacity and clotting factors necessary to treat severe trauma. This change aims to increase survivability for patients who suffer from significant blood loss before reaching a hospital.

Packed red blood cells have a 42-day shelf life and must be stored at 2 to 6 degrees Celsius. The storage equipment for the program, which costs over $15,000, includes coolers and 24-hour monitoring software to ensure temperature stability.

The players

Lincoln Fire and Rescue

This is the municipal agency responsible for fire protection and emergency medical services in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Nebraska Community Blood Bank

This organization supplies blood units and facilitates the collection and distribution of blood products to healthcare providers.

Omaha Fire Department

This agency serves as the largest fire department in Nebraska and recently established a similar pre-hospital blood program.

The details

Lincoln Fire and Rescue staff coordinate with the Nebraska Community Blood Bank to maintain the supply of blood units on EMS-1. The department also invested in administration equipment costing $600 per unit to facilitate the transition.

September 29, 2026: Lincoln Fire and Rescue implementation of the blood program began.
June 2025: Omaha Fire Department initiated their own blood transport program.

Health Landscape

The deployment of blood products by fire departments follows the operational precedent set by the Omaha Fire Department blood transport program. This shift marks a broader move toward bringing critical trauma interventions directly to the field to improve patient outcomes.

Trauma patients in the Lincoln area may receive life-saving blood transfusions before arrival at a hospital. This change directly impacts the quality of immediate medical care available to residents experiencing life-threatening injuries.

The takeaway

This medical advancement provides local emergency responders with the tools needed to address severe trauma more effectively. Patients benefit from earlier access to oxygen-carrying blood components that standard saline solutions cannot provide.