The FACT Program was designed to supplement the Chicago Fire Department's Emergency Medical Services.
Once a resident called 9-1-1 for emergency service, the Office of Emergency Management & Communication (OEMC) simultaneously dispatched an ambulance company and notified personnel at one of the FACT stations via portable radio or dedicated land line (telephone).
FACT technicians were generally the first on the scene, arriving within minutes due to their onsite location.
Once on the scene, FACT technicians could provide Basic Life Support and attend to everything from trauma to medical emergencies.
In its time running, the First Aid Care Team responded to over 36,333 requests for emergency assistance, of which 9,914 were classified as "non-transports", cases where FACT technicians provided medical services on-site and no ambulance was dispatched based on the technicians evaluation, thereby reducing the number of "no service" calls experienced by Chicago Fire Department ambulances.