Arrive alive

[Richard B the EMT]

I somehow get ther feeling that the safe speed of an ambulance is a combination of how fast the road engineers feel any and all vehicles can go safely on the roadway, the driver's attitude as to how fast is safe, the condition of the vehicle, contributing weather factors, actual skills of the driver, and the driver's physical and emotional state.

Edited November 23, 2010 by Richard B the EMT

[JPINFV]

Ok I read this and it still does not explain to me how revenue is going to be made by setting speed limits.

Speed limits by themselves? No.

Setting speed limits too low on purpose? Yes.

If everyone is "speeding" than the speed limit is not properly set.

[Happiness]

Speed limits by themselves? No.

Setting speed limits too low on purpose? Yes.

If everyone is "speeding" than the speed limit is not properly set.

OK but it says "everyone will always drive 5 mph over the speed limit" so to me it says that the speed limit will always be set to make revenue no matter what it is, safe or not.

[spenac]

Emergent transport can make an 75 minute hospital transfer 45 minutes. It may not save much time in urban areas but over rural countryside it is a life saver.

So you drive the ambulance about 95 mph?

Top heavy. Tires with extreme weight on them. High rate of speed. Equals bad results.

[WolfmanHarris]

Even if response times had any bearing on clinical outcomes (they don't), L&S rarely make a statistically significant difference in response times. L&S are about public perception/relations and faulty call-taking resulting in not having reliable information on what you're actually responding to as well as being a legal necessity for moving through traffic in violation of traffic laws (clearing intersections, driving on the shoulder). Note that I'm not talking about driving recklessly, just driving with L&S.

My service recently completed a 6 month trial of opticon and has received budget approval to install the system on all of our Ambulances. The pilot project showed a 58 second average decrease in response times in our most urban and congested areas. This system is tied to our L&S and engages automatically.

[JPINFV]

L&S rarely make a statistically significant difference in response times.

Source? Every study I've seen has shown a statistically significant difference, but not an amount of time likely to be clinically significant.

My service recently completed a 6 month trial of opticon and has received budget approval to install the system on all of our Ambulances. The pilot project showed a 58 second average decrease in response times in our most urban and congested areas. This system is tied to our L&S and engages automatically.

I've always wondered how much time would be saved if Opticon (signal preemption) was used without lights and sirens.

[fiznat]

I hesitate to call bullshit on the poster who said he could shave 30 minutes off a 75 minute drive until I see his thought process or rebuttal to my response.

You are forgetting about stop lights, busy intersections, and traffic. All of those things work together to slow down your average speed over the entire trip, which is the number you should be figuring into your math. This number is significantly slower than your top speed, especially in the city where there is a stop light on every block.

You want to do some math? How about the ambulance that can hit a top speed of 20 mph over one mile, but stops at 4 intersections along the way for two minutes each. That means lights and sirens could potentially turn an 11 minute trip into a 3 minute trip (at 20 mph, nevermind the increased speed). That is significant, and we're only talking about a single city mile.

Edited November 24, 2010 by fiznat

[JPINFV]

You want to do some math? How about the ambulance that can hit a top speed of 20 mph over one mile, but stops at 4 intersections along the way for two minutes each. That means lights and sirens could potentially turn an 11 minute trip into a 3 minute trip (at 20 mph, nevermind the increased speed). That is significant, and we're only talking about a single city mile.

...except the person who claimed to be able to cut transport times by 40 minutes clearly stated that they were in a rural area. That's a lot of stoplights. Also, at 2 minutes a stoplight, you're getting really unlucky by hitting the stoplight just as it turns red. Similarly, how often does that 8 minutes really matter?

[fiznat]

Similarly, how often does that 8 minutes really matter?

About as often, I hope, as I actually transport lights and sirens...

[TJZ]

The answers are yes, I sped in these situations. Yes, we did do a lot of emergent transport over rural highway. (I had no time to post then and have quit since). One of our most frequent callers that very often had train wreck patients was a small rural hospital 45 miles (approx) from the excellent hospital in Madison (there are 3, but UW wins hands down when life is really on the line) We would have to leave from Madison and return to Madison with the patient. Sometimes they would have no blood for a patient and would have us arriving to transport with 3ltr of saline already in and no control over pressure. Yes, I will do 95mph over a straight smooth rural highway with miles of visibility and no traffic. When people can see you coming they are generally very nice and yield very well, or you at least have a chance to compensate. Roads are dry and the pulse ox is dumping, and my medic in the back is telling me about the blue lips... I will speed. I will not endanger lives and know when less than the speed limit is better. Speed is not always the answer but sometimes it is. Most days my medics could handle whatever was thrown at them and I would not have to be so hasty but when it is needed...

We were also the only transport in bad weather, when rural crashes love to happen, MedFlight will not launch and we were it. I did not even attempt to make these times in that weather no matter the condition of the patient and that did cost one life...

My driving was praised as a smooth glide by anyone that rode with me

The REAL need is assessment and sound judgment, crashing is not acceptable transport in any situation. The factors involved in making times this good were all ideal but it always saved time over rural road.

I think the L&S are necessary but overused. If your goal is to drive fast get into Nascar.

Looking at a post I missed, I also have incredible trust in our mechanic/maintenance guy. He knew what we needed and always had us it tip top condition with a budget to make it happen.

I somehow get ther feeling that the safe speed of an ambulance is a combination of how fast the road engineers feel any and all vehicles can go safely on the roadway, the driver's attitude as to how fast is safe, the condition of the vehicle, contributing weather factors, actual skills of the driver, and the driver's physical and emotional state.

Dead ON!! So many factors!!! All must be in place every transport. No two drives are the same.

Edited November 24, 2010 by TJZ