The Forest and the Trees--September 2012
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Little Problems and Big Problems in Peoria's EMS
What if emergency had been a life-or-death situation? On Thursday, Aug. 16, I called for an ambulance for my wife.
On Thursday, Aug. 16, I called for an ambulance for my wife.
We live in Northmoor Hills, the subdivision kitty-corner from Richwoods High School. As I waited for it to arrive, I could hear its siren from the intersection of University and Northmoor Road. It passed one entrance to my neighborhood, and proceeded east down Northmoor towards Sheridan. Shortly thereafter, I heard the sirens of the fire department coming from the station four blocks west of Richwoods High.
Despite hearing the ambulance sirens first, I greeted the fire department at our home first. The ambulance arrived several minutes later, clearly having gotten lost. After my wife was loaded into the ambulance, the driver turned west out of the north entrance of my neighborhood, taking them farther from Proctor Hospital. It then traveled south on University, east on Glen, and turned south on Sheridan Road, instead of north, to Proctor.
I drove myself to the hospital. Driving the speed limit, it took me three minutes. The ambulance arrived four minutes after I did. Although AMT ambulances are equipped with GPS navigation, they could not explain why they turned in the opposite direction of Proctor Hospital, twice.
Thankfully, my wife is all right now, but what if this had been a life-or-death situation? How much time was lost by making incorrect turns and traveling in the wrong direction of the hospital?
Raymond Dixon
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My Comments in 2021--
A thoughtful article by Mr. Dixon.
Getting lost is one thing by AMT. We can all get lost.
But what would Mr. Dixon think if he knew that the PFD firefighters who responded would not have been able to provide Advanced Life Support for his wife if she had needed it when they arrived? Even if the PFD firefighters had been paramedic, they still would not have been allowed to provide ALS until AMT arrived.
I doubt Mr. Dixon would have been happy with this arrangement.
Sometimes it is hard to see the forest through all of the trees.
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