LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Community Ambulance is learning from the past to respond to emergency calls fast, by strategically placing ambulances throughout the Las Vegas Valley with the help of call volume data.
Community Ambulance is responsible for 65% of Clark County, according to Senior Director, Glen Simpson. The Ambulance Response Areas Franchise agreement shows the four zones Community Ambulance is responsible for.
Simpson said they have a duty to respond to critical calls within their coverage zones within 11 minutes and 59 seconds. Data from their previous calls helps fulfil that obligation.
Instead of being parked at fire stations, Simpson said Community Ambulance units are assigned to different “post areas” throughout the valley. Those areas are well thought out, down to the units’ access to major roadways.
“So, if I get a call in this general vicinity, it’s quick for me to get on the freeway and head either eastbound or westbound,” Simpson explained, pointing to one of the assigned post areas.
He said they are able to move those post areas, or add an additional post area, if needed. One factor they will consider when making an adjustment is call volume.
“We thought over here was a good spot for a particular post, but then we saw that most of our volume was coming from this area. Well, let’s shift that post over there,” Simpson said, offering an example of when they may make an adjustment.
Simpson demonstrated how call volume is tracked using what’s called a “heat map.” Blue clusters indicate where the highest call volume is.
A blue cluster is visible along the Las Vegas Strip.
“The reality is, when people come to our city where do they go? They go to the Strip. So, that’s where we tend to see the majority of stuff,” he said.
It’s not only post areas they are able to adjust.
Simpson said, more commonly, they use call volume to help decide when more ambulances are needed on the roadways.
“We now have good historical data to tell us the type, the amount of calls, that we’re receiving in particular zones. That’s what’s driving our scheduling, that’s what’s driving the number of resources we’re putting on the road and maintaining and keeping on the road,” he said.
Moving forward, Simpson is hopeful Community Ambulance will be able to use historical data to inform their education efforts. For example, offering CPR training in an area where they see a bulk of their cardiac emergencies.
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