EMS Response: How long is too long?

[dcnytrauma buff]

In small town's and city's across the nation where people rely on the Volunteers to save the lives of Family members or themselves time is the issue!
How long is too long? in a suburban area 4 - 7 minutes is a standard but were volunteers often come from home to the station and then to the scene the time often becomes 10 - 15 min. And what if the weather is bad, or there is a lot of traffic? 15 - 20 min. Must there always be a $ price to pay to save lives?
Now what about if the people don't have the proper or any address markings on the homes, are the EMS personal to suffer with the family's anger when EMS can't find the scene?
I am a Volunteer in a area that has both paid services, but is predominitly volunteer and in the areas where the paid services are, they have contracts with the local towns. the towns have set response standards such as 3 - 5 minutes from time of dispatch to on scene. One local paid service by me has taken up to 15 - 20 min. to respond to 40% of thier calls, and yet nothing is done because the whole contract is politicly motivated. Is this right? NO! but what are we to do wait untill one or several of the politicains family members die? It almost seems that way.


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Dutchess County NY Trauma Buff

[502]

State and regional protocols should prevail with a little research you should find your answer, taking an extended period of time to respond, Especially for a paid service would be neglect where I come from, the state of PA has a ten minute rule where if the ambulance from any given department has not responded in ten minutes then they automatically go to the next due company.

[iwood51]

There is a pilot program currently in place in my County that utilizes a call in system.
The alarm is activated and if there is not a full crew called in within 2 minutes, there is a repeat activation, if no full crew in an additional 2 minutes, the call is mutual aided to next available town. Does this cut down response time to residence? Yes - if there was going to be trouble assembling a crew in the first place, no - if there was a full crew responding. This is a nationwide problem, especially in all volunteer units. We combined with two other Fire Districts and put 2 paid first responders (EMT-D level) on duty from 06:00 to 18:00 M-F. This at least gets medical attention to the public while waiting to muster up an ambulance crew.

[Capez]

Interesting question. In the State of connecticut you must respond at the level of your service to the first call 100% of the time, no exceptions. It dosn't say how, or how long. We're volunteer and our average response time is about 6-10 min. we reduce the response times in the following ways:
1. when on duty you must remain within 3 miles, as a bird flys, from the station.
2. we all have radios so we can sign on so we know within 3 min weather we have a crew or not. cuts the time for mutual aid if we need it.
The response time requierment is a double edged sword, if you don't make the response time you get in trouble, if you try to make it and get killed in an accident you're screwed. Just ask American Medical Response there taking a beating on this issue, both ends of it. Example: AMR crew dispatched to a diff breather takes 35 min to get there patient dies. AMR crew goes to diff breather, diff city this time, kills civilian in an accident resp time was 5 min, theve got 5 min to get on scene from wherever they are. My answer Get there no matter how long it takes.

Lt. Alexis J. Capezza
Canton Fire & EMS