Getting An ETA On An Ambulance

[x635 4,066]

Something said on the airwaves of 46.26 today got me thinking.

The Engine called 60 Control for an ETA on the muncipally operated ambulance, and they stated 10 minutes.

Why should the Engine (dispatched by 60 Control) have to call the 60 dispatcher who then has to call the EMS agency which is dispatched by the PD, then the PD has to call the ambulance, the ambulance has to respond to their dispatcher, who then tells 60 the ETA, and the the 60 Control dispatcher turns around and gives the requesting Engine their ETA. Get it? Got It? Good.

It's ridiculous in Westchester that an ambulance and fire engine in the SAME town can't even talk to one another on one frequency. It wastes time, wastes airtime, and puts more work on the dispatchers who are already overwhelmed.

I'm not going to even get into the problem of having to ask for ETA's on EMS.........

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Come on brother...you've been in the game for a while...because it "gives them more control."

[Guest]

its the most annoying thing. and I've said it before, for Mt Pleasant everyone needs to be dispatched by the same unit. either everyone by 60 control or everyone by MPPD...I could care less which, but a centralized dispatch is necessary. to solve this problem, i use fireground to contact the FD's, but they normally can't get a hold of us because each FD uses a diff FG channel...it's a loose-loose

[IzzyEng4 427]

This is why CT has the C-MED centers where all first responders can contact the ambulance through c-med directly to the unit responding.

A typical C-MED radio transmission in New Haven County over the MED 10 radio

One-Alpha-14 (New Haven Engine 4) to C-MED can we have an ETA on the "Charlie" unit coming?"

C-MED to 5 Charlie 10 (AMR Paramedic Ambulance #10) your ETA?

5 Charlie 10's ETA is 5 to 7 minutes out. We are at the intersection of Grand and Ferry Streets, what do they need on the inside?

1 Alpha 14 we copied, have them bring the stretcher to the front door and board up stairs.

Using a C-MED radio center elevates a lot fo problems with the old telephone chain.

[Guest]

Solution: Westchester 911 Center.

[helicopper 1,050]

Aww, tell 'em to shut up and wait for it!!!

Just kidding! Actually, some form of centralized communications and coordination is long overdue.

[x635 4,066]

An ambulance that's not able to talk to the fire engine in the SAME town is my issue, especially when these agencies work together routinely.

[Guest bibbles10504]

An ambulance that's not able to talk to the fire engine in the SAME town is my issue, especially when these agencies work together routinely.

←

Yea, I agree. Same is true with an ambulence trying to talk to a medic, for an ETA or even an intercept.

[mikerabbit 2]

The case could also be inexperienced or untrained operators. Some rigs are outfitted with numerous radios and frequencies but many of the operators don realize that their is anything othe than channel 1.

[Guest]

for valhalla vac the medic is dispatched through Mt. Pleasant PD (no tones used), the ambulance is toned out on Mt. Pleasant EMS Channel and the FD off of 60 control...and to make it worse we ONLY have Mt. Pleasant EMS in our rigs. we used to have a 60 box, but no more

i've brought this up to people when they ask, "now why is communication a problem??!"

...perfect example, off the top of my head...the tornado last year

[JetPhoto 626]

See in Dutchess we have a different problem, ALS units providing false location information or just decide to not pay attention to 911 because "oops we were on our channel"

Always a problems somewhere, here's an idea GPS units on each bus, ALS and BLS so command says I need the location of the unit and the dispatcher says "unit 123 is at the intersection of a st and b st"

No lying that way!

[Guest WCDES636]

C'mon .... don't you all know that this will be solved by the new "County Radio System"

[64FFMJK 21]

See in Dutchess we have a different problem, ALS units providing false location information or just decide to not pay attention to 911 because "oops we were on our channel"

Always a problems somewhere, here's an idea GPS units on each bus, ALS and BLS so command says I need the location of the unit and the dispatcher says "unit 123 is at the intersection of a st and b st"

No lying that way!

←

as a dispatcher and EMT for a comercial ALS company in dutchess I know that we have been told that if you lie about location or go over a set speed you get time off. all of our ambulances have GPS that our dispatch can see and there is talk that county wants ALL vehicles they dispatch ie police, fire and EMS to be GPS tracked but there are issues with this. Say NDP transports some one to beacon and now there is a priority 1 call in fishkill and NDP is the closest unit on GPS but county doesn't know they have a PT in the bus and dispatches them since they are the closest unit. for this to work then all the EMS for 911 would need to be a county contract and the contracted buses would need to call out of service for transports since private transports are bound to hapen since they pay for the EMS agancy to operate.

[Danger 160]

Say NDP transports some one to beacon and now there is a priority 1 call in fishkill and NDP is the closest unit on GPS but county doesn't know they have a PT in the bus and dispatches them since they are the closest unit.  for this to work then all the EMS for 911 would need to be a county contract and the contracted buses would need to call out of service for transports since private transports are bound to hapen since they pay for the EMS agancy to operate.

←

Instead of running in to those issues, you need to have dedicated 911 buses. Look at Alamo's Town of Wappinger ambulance vs. Transcare's. The whole point of doing a county wide service, to me, is to stop with the txpt BS and get ambulances in service for sick people paying a lot of taxes. Keep the units on the county system for 911 calls and if a call comes in direct to company dispatch or for some other reason, have a way to deactivate the ambulance. Hopefully by a means of pushing a button rather than clogging up the radio even further.

[e92l44 0]

I know it's a mostly West. Cty. issue for you guys but.......

Even in NYC the "FDNY" cannot even communicate with the "FDNY*EMS"!!!

How ridiculous is that!!! Supposedly, we are the same department.....

Helloooooooooooooo........9/11 communications issues!?!?!?!

Oh wait, I thought Mr. Magoo & Bloomy boy solved those issues......

[Guest partyrock]

Come on, we've all got the CFR frequency buried somewhere on the radio that EMS never turns to. That fixed everything.

Don't worry Westchester, you're not alone. PD, Fire, and EMS in the 5 boroughs can't talk to each other without going through multiple dispatchers.

Edited April 23, 2007 by partyrock