By Allison G. S. Knox
Contributor, EDM Digest
The last few years have seen some innovative measures taking place in public safety agencies throughout the country. For example, the Community Paramedicine Model has helped first responders to manage non-emergency patients who need more urgent medical care.
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Similarly, the Rescue Task Force Model allows shooting victims to be cared for more efficiently after a mass casualty shooting incident. These innovations have reshaped public safety agencies and aided them in managing 911 emergencies more efficiently.
However, innovations don’t always have to be new concepts. They can involve public agencies revisiting what worked in the past and applying it again in a new way to 911 calls.
Minnesota Adapting BLS Ambulances for Less Urgent Patients
Among recent innovative measures is one that was already in place years ago, but is seeing a resurgence in how it is applied. In St. Paul, Minnesota, for example, agencies are sending out ambulances capable of basic life support to handle less urgent patients in the field.
This practice allows Advanced Life Support units to remain available for more serious emergencies. As a result, St. Paul can more effectively handle an influx of emergency patients. It’s a great example of good resource management by having a dedicated unit for less-urgent cases.
More Innovation Will Be Needed as Communities Change and Grow
As a community grows and changes, patient care and resource management for 911 calls will need to adapt to handle emerging community needs. Whether that adaptation involves a new idea or just readapting an old, simple idea for a new innovation, that will help agencies better handle their 911 calls.
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