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Comprehensive Assessment of Emergency Medical Services 21 DRAFT REPORT and 911/Communications Center Operations Study Emergency Transports Tracking the number of emergency victims transported, together with the number of emergency incidents to which ambulances are dispatched, becomes important when later analyzing average call duration together with call volume during "prime-time" hours to determine the basis for ambulance availability. Figure 12 Patients transported by EMS are billed Annual Emergency Transports for the service, which in recent years EMS Calls Number has generated considerable revenue to Year Percentage Dispatched Transported offset the County's operating costs. 2007 9269 6171 66.6% With the exception of 2009, the ratio 2008 9833 6631 67.4% of EMS patient transports to total EMS calls dispatched has shown to be 2009 9749 7330 75.2% increasing at a relatively steady rate 2010 10420 7284 69.9% between 2007 and 2011. The 5-year 2011 10719 7562 70.5% average ratio of transports to total EMS calls is just under 70%at 69.92. Figure 13 Transport Destinations EMS Transport Destinations There were a total of 10 transport destinations Facility Number Percent listed on the NCOEMS/CIS website for Orange UNC Hospital 4,875 64.5% County EMS during calendar year 2011. Of the 7,562 transports made, 87.6%were to the first Duke Univ. Medical Center 1,125 14.9% five destinations identified in this table. Durham Regional Hospital 438 5.8% Alamance Reg. Medical Center 129 1.7% It is significant to note that of the state's six (6) Durham VA Medical Center 61 0.8% certified Level I Trauma Centers, two (2); UNC 6,628 87.6% Hospitals and Duke University Hospital; are UNC Healthcare Chapel Hill within minutes of most areas of Orange County. As well, a third Level I Trauma Center: UNC Heart Center UNC Student Health 934 12.4% Wake Med; can generally be reached within Carillon Assisted living 40-50 minutes depending upon the point of Carol Woods Retirement Comm. origin within Orange County. 7,562 100•A 2.3 PERFORMANCE & COSTS Response Time An EMS Ambulance/Unit's response time is: the time from the initial alert or announcement by the Communications Center (also called "tone", "page", or "dispatch") of the reported emergency, to the time that the service vehicle and appropriate personnel arrive on the scene. Why is time so important? According to the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), "The most elementary explanation of why time is important in a medical emergency has to do with the obvious; ". . . it may mean the difference between life and death".5 NENA;"911 System Survey and Resource Guide";2002 Solutions for Local Government,Inc. 19