The Rockford Fire Department provides advanced life support on all apparatus. At any given time, there are approximately 230 firefighters certified as Paramedics. These individuals are dual-role personnel who work a 24-hour shift. They divide their time by 12 hours to the ambulance and 12 hours to the fire suppression company to which they are assigned. All fire suppression companies have an automatic defibrillator that facilitates early defibrillation, a proven life-saving technique.