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EMS Dispatch Changes
In March, we will begin training for Communications Center staff in Saratoga County on Version 11.0 of the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS). While this update is the most comprehensive ever made to the MPDS cards, field providers will notice only a few differences. We will cut over to the new cards at the Sheriff’s Dept., Ballston Spa PD, and Waterford PD sometime near April 1st, 2001. Mechanicville PD will switch sometime in May. The most noticeable change field providers will see is
the addition of an Echo level response determinant.
Echo was added to provide earlier recognition and faster dispatch for
patients with obvious near-death conditions.
Echo is also an exclusive subset of situations that non-traditional
responders (such as Police AED units) can be sent to.
As you will see from the chart below, the same maximal response sent to
Delta determinants will also apply to the new Echo level. The second change that we will implement in Saratoga
County is Automatic Helicopter Standby for certain call types.
In 15 specific call types approved by the EMS Council (see chart below),
Communications will automatically place the helicopter on standby.
This applies to all ambulance districts except Clifton Park-Halfmoon and
Waterford, which are both <30 minutes from a trauma center and do not meet
REMO criteria for aeromedical transport. You
will be advised when the helicopter has been automatically placed on standby.
After arriving at the scene and assessing the patient, EMS Command has
the option of canceling the helicopter standby or requesting a flight.
Of course, you can always request a helicopter for situations outside of
the automatic standby criteria. Our
hope is that the automatic standby program will improve our utilization of
aeromedical transport as well as reduce so called, “knee jerk” helicopter
requests by using patient driven request criteria. We will make a series of radio announcements once a
specific implementation date is selected. Please
post this announcement prominently in your station, and feel free
to contact me with any questions at 383-8608. Mike McEvoy,
Revised Criteria for Automatic Helicopter Standby (effective
4-1-01):
Communications will automatically place the helicopter on standby
for all jurisdictions except Clifton Park-Halfmoon and
Waterford (these areas are < 30 minutes from a trauma center and do not
meet REMO protocols for aeromedical transport)
when any of the following criteria are satisfied:
EMS Command has the option of canceling the helicopter
standby or requesting a flight once they arrive at the scene and assess the
patient.
Copter requests will continue
to be accepted outside of these situations.
Contact Mike McEvoy, EMS-1 with any questions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Send mail to info@saratogaems.org with
questions or comments about this web site.
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