Ambulance Call Coverage

[uki244]

Our fire department operates 2 BLS ambulances and we run about 1500 EMS jobs a year. I am doing some research on how well volunteer departments are covering their own calls. We had to Mutual Aid about 5% of our ambulance calls away last year because we could not obtain a crew. I'm looking for some rates of coverage in other places. Any help would be great. Thanks.

[Capt13]

Alot of factors go into what you are trying to obtain. What we have in Loudoun County Virginia is this. Out of our station we run approx. 7000 (ALS/BLS)calls a year with about 3300 calls handled by supplemental staffing (M-F 6a-6p day time career staff) all other times and weekends are handled by our volunteers. Also note that our station is EMS/Rescue only so handling EMS calls is our priority. With that said we handle approx 98% of the calls that we (as volunteers) are dispatched to including mutual aid to other areas and scratching mainly in multi call situations. Optimum staffing is to have 2 BLS units staffed at all times plus a Rescue crew and an ALS provider. We frequently receive ALS mutual coverage due to our call volume and the number of volunteer ALS providers available. I have been in EMS a few years and by the sounds of it you are not doing to bad seeing that your primary function seems to be fire. I hope this info is helpful. Note the views expressed here are a representation of my views only.
Capt13
Loudoun County Volunteer Rescue Squad

[This message has been edited by Capt13 (edited 01-22-2001).]

[GTUCK911KCDE]

The company I volunteer with now runs approximately 600 - 800 calls for E.M.S with 1 B.L.S. unit. For 2000 we had to be covered on 12% of our calls by neighboring companies.

These calls are covered by volunteers. The procedure for the county I am in is M-F 0700-1800 any A.L.S. calls are dispatched with a 5 minute response limit. If there is no B.L.S. crew responding in 5 minutes the next due company is dispatched along with the home company being re-alerted. In eight minutes from the original dispatch the home company is checked to see if the have a crew. If no crew they are alerted for a third time.

When the 10 minute mark arrives the second company is checked for a crew and the same policy is followed,until there is a response.

From 1800-0700 the above dispatch rules do no apply however a debate is going on about making B.L.S. dispatch times all the same.

From 1800-0700 All calls are currently dispatched with a 8 minute time limit. If no response from the home company in 5 minutes they are re-alerted. Then if there is no response after 3 minutes the next due B.L.S. company is alerted along with the home company.

I hope this helps you out.

Tuck