Denver's EMS System Responds to Growing Traffic Problems

DENVER, Colo. (KUSA) - Paramedics experience the same headaches battling backups during rush hour - only their dilemmas are more life or death than just getting home in time for dinner.  The Denver Health Paramedic Division has a deadline to reach anywhere in the city in under nine minutes for 90 percent of their calls. It’s part of an agreement with the City and County of Denver and for some surrounding areas.   To make sure that’s possible, they're using new technology and changing where ambulances are staged before they respond to calls.  "The easy answer is put more resources into our system,” said Deputy March Chief Scherschel of Denver Health Paramedics. “While that's effective and we will continue to do that as needed, we are also looking at creative ways to get around the city a little faster.”   That includes new technology called Optima, which predicts where calls will happen and what traffic patterns will be. This helps strategically place ambulances around the city, including the perimeter. “We're able to get to the call,” Operation Lieutenant Mike Morris said. “But if you need to transport and it's not a critical patient, you could be sitting in traffic.”  And in some cases paramedics are on bicycles as well. Read more...
Source: JEMS Administration and Leadership - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: News Videos Operations Communications & Dispatch Source Type: news