In June 2026, Boca Raton Fire Rescue Services joined a small group of EMS agencies nationwide that carry whole blood in the field. The city estimates that only 1 to 2 percent of emergency ground transport units in the country currently carry whole blood. Boca Raton keeps its supply on a dedicated EMS supervisor vehicle that can respond anywhere in the city, so firefighter-paramedics can begin transfusion at the patient’s side rather than waiting for hospital arrival.
The program proved its value within weeks. That summer, Jo Thomas was critically injured in a motorcycle crash, and Boca Raton crews administered whole blood in the field for the first time under the new program. Months later, Thomas returned to the station to reunite with the crew who responded to his call, and the responding crew members were recognized with a firefighter challenge coin.
Behind the program is the Triad of Life, an integrated approach that brings together blood storage and monitoring, warming, and rapid infusion. Boca Raton uses the Delta ICE 2L Smart Blood Cooler and BloodCOMM® to store and track every unit from receipt to patient care, QinFlow to warm blood to body temperature, and LifeFlow to deliver it rapidly to patients in hemorrhagic shock. Together, these tools give crews a complete chain of care from the cooler to the vein.
Boca Raton has also strengthened the program’s sustainability through a new partnership with Palm Beach Health Network. When units on the fire rescue vehicle approach expiration, crews return them to the health network for use with hospital patients and receive fresh blood in exchange. This keeps the supply ready for the next emergency while keeping a scarce resource from going to waste.
We’re proud to support Boca Raton Fire Rescue and every agency working to bring blood closer to the patients who need it most.
