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Comprehensive Assessment of Emergency Medical Services 73 and 911 /Communications Center Operations Study The total medical calls to which the Fire Departments responded was 5,990; which represents approximately 56% of the emergency calls to which EMS was dispatched. The concern, however, with regards to the response time standards cited is illustrated here: Figure 24 Fire Dept. Average Response Times Figure 25 to Emergency Medical Calls EMS & Fire Average Response Times vs. AECP & NFPA Standards Department Avg. RT Caldwell 9:38 Carrboro 5:10 CedarGrove 9:31 Chapel Hill 4:48 N. Chatham 12:00 Efland 7:05 Eno 8:46 Hillsb /Orng. Rural 5:24 Mebane 7:12 New Hope 7:10 Orange Grove 6:49 White Cross 8:19 14:24 , , , ,--7 , , 1 12 :00 1 1 I I I I I I I I I I 1._�__�_ a__4_ a__�_ __�_a__ I 1 I I I I I 1 I I 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 O_ra_nlLe Avgl1_0:47L —6 .I � I. i i J � I. i I I I I 1 1 I I I � 1. 1 1 _o._E_S_20_11_ � I I I I I I I I 1 I I I 9:36 - -,- - - -,- - - -,- - - -� ALS%AIdEF 7:12 I - 4 :48 I I 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 �__�_ __�_�__�_ _L_�__L_�__1__�__I__ I I I I I I I I I I 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 L _1 1 1 1 __,__1__I__1____I__1_ I I I I I I I I I I I I BLS /N FPP 2:24 1 r---r- --r----r-T--r--- 1 r- z-- ,-- z-- r- r-- 1-- r-- r- r --r-r- 0:00 • I I I I I , �H , , I `\ o e `` a o &a` a�rad` Q, efface `tole �`oJe `to5y CP La `aaac Lra �Lr \Oto� lei �rwe `acute O Moving upward from the horizontal axis in Figure 25 the first horizontal red line represents four (4) minutes; the second horizontal red line represents eight (8) minutes. The horizontal red - dashed line represents the total average response time for EMS in 2011. Based upon the response time standards cited, at the very least the Fire Department /BLS response times should be below the 4- minute line and the EMS /ALS response times should be below the 8- minute line. On the basis of the numbers and times illustrated, none of the Fire Departments who serve as BLS level medical first responders meet the 4:00 minute BLS response time standard called for; albeit several are very close and several certainly meet the criteria much of the time assuming that +/- 50% of the "average" responses are in fact less than the average. At the same time, the 2011 EMS average response time is nearly 3:00 minutes greater than the 8:00 minutes suggested for ALS response. NOTE: This issue is about EMS "response time ", and as an issue it very much needs to be addressed. However, time of response is not the only factor that ultimately will determine the quality if the response. The role of the Communications Center in Medical emergencies is extremely important; in fact vital, if the "correct" response to a medical emergency is going to occur. The efforts to adequately triage a call based on the NAED and EMD protocols can many times provide valuable advise and /or verbal assistance in initiating basic care for the patient; can identify the specific conditions and /or symptoms to determine the level of response to be dispatched and can keep responders informed of any changes in the patient's condition or scene circumstances as they are enroute. Solutions for Local Government, Inc. 29