Bikers on John Nolen for Ride the Drive.
City of Madison

Madison Fire Places 10th Ambulance Into Service

posted 
Ambulance outside the fire station

A tenth Madison Fire Department ambulance is now in service, stationed in downtown Madison.

Medic 1, located at Fire Station 1 (316 West Dayton Street), will serve the busy downtown district while also addressing the increasing demand for emergency medical services across the city.

The overarching goal with the addition of the tenth medic unit was to identify the location where it may have the biggest positive impact across the entire system. Our data analysis left no doubt that Fire Station 1 was the optimal place to assign our tenth ambulance.

—

Chris Carbon, Fire Chief, Madison Fire Department

In 2025, Fire Station 1's response area generated 3,770 emergency medical calls. However, each of these calls was handled by ambulances from other fire stations. 

The existing demand for emergency medical service in this area, combined with analysis showing the positive benefit across the city, made Fire Station 1 the best possible location for service expansion.

The addition of a tenth ambulance strengthens our support of safety, health, and well-being, particularly in the downtown area. I'm thrilled to welcome this new ambulance to Fire Station 1.

—

Satya Rhodes-Conway, Madison Mayor

With the placement of Medic 1 downtown, projected call volumes and drive times of all medic units in the city are expected to decrease. Overall total call volume continues to increase for the Madison Fire Department. 

The department will continue to monitor call volume and the utilization of all ten ambulances to ensure that emergency medical resources are being deployed most appropriately across the city.

As our vibrant downtown continues to grow, so does the need for quick fire and EMS response when emergencies happen. The return of Medic 1 to Fire Station 1 is a very welcome addition to the area, and I'm comforted to know that overall service capacity will improve across the city with Medic 1 in place.

—

Mike Verveer, Alder, District 4

Medic 1 went into service at 7:00 a.m. Thursday, September 3, 2026.

About Fire Station 1

Fire Station 1 houses four firefighter/EMTs who respond on Engine 1, four firefighter/EMTs who respond on Ladder 1, two firefighter/paramedics who respond on Medic 1, and the Officer In Charge and Chief's Aide who respond on Command Car 31. It is also home to the MFD Lake Rescue Team.

In 2025, units from Fire Station 1 were dispatched for emergency calls 7,476 times.

Three paramedics stand in front of the ambulance

Firefighter/Paramedics Zach Yozamp, Kevin Julka, and Sam Wood serve on Medic 1 on the 'B' shift.

Departments:

Was this page helpful to you? * required