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Post by AndrewKBrown on Jun 10, 2004 21:04:02 GMT -5
One question on the subject of Cincinnati ambulances: Since all the rescue units have been replaced, there should be at least four ambulances, if not more, just sitting around. How difficult would it be for Cincinnati to establish extra ambulance companies by putting unused ambulances at firehouses that could hold them? 10 firehouses already have ambulances, perhaps put an ambulance or two at non-ambulance houses.
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Post by Bob on Jun 10, 2004 22:32:42 GMT -5
money for one thing the ambulances may be sitting around as spares but having to man them is another thing who do we get "officers" or overtime ff/emt or new hires but what about maintenance or breakdown of equipment it isnt about what is sitting around not being used but its about the $$$$$$
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Post by district5 on Mar 27, 2008 20:38:28 GMT -5
Last Updated: 6:09 pm | Thursday, March 27, 2008 The Cincinnati Enquirer
City's ambulance shortage to be scrutinized
BY JANE PRENDERGAST | JPRENDERGAST@ENQUIRER.COM
Cincinnati's shortage of ambulances - brought on in part by the city's policy of transporting anyone to a hospital who wants to go - will be studied by a task force established Wednesday by City Council.
City officials have considered increasing the number of ambulances from 10 to 14, as recommended by a study two years ago, and discussed before that. But doing so would require hiring more firefighters, which would cost more than $3.1 million. So the city has opted not to do it, instead trying remedies like certifying its own paramedics.
Councilman Jeff Berding, who introduced the motion creating the task force, said he'd like the group to research everything from changing the policy of hauling everyone to offering people taxi vouchers if they don't need emergency treatment.
"Clearly, it's an ineffective medical transport system," he said. "But we need data before we can figure out what to do."
The motion, approved unanimously by council, calls for the task force to spend 120 days collecting information about response times, then make recommendations to council by the end of the year. The city would implement any changes by July 1, 2009.
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Post by district5 on Dec 10, 2008 19:38:52 GMT -5
I-Team Update: Ambulance Plan in Peril
Reported by: Hagit Limor Email: hlimor@wcpo.com Web Produced By: Brooke Anderson Last Update: 6:36 pm 12-10-2008 wcpo.com
Cincinnati City Council is struggling with a life-and-death issue it must settle by next week: not having enough city ambulances.
Twice a day people call 9-1-1 asking for an ambulance, only to hear there isn't one available, according to fire department records.
Since the I-Team's first report on this issue in February, the city formed a task force to come up with a fix. Just two months ago a unanimous city council voted to approve funding for up to four new ambulances and another paramedic class to staff a restructured emergency transport system.
Now, all that may be gone.
Just yesterday the Cincinnati Fire Department graduated its first in-house paramedic class, 23 firefighters who trained for 11 months to get critical advanced medical know-how. The new medics would staff new ambulances city council recommended in October as part of a sweeping new mandate to the city manager. Council asked the manager to earmark money in next year's budget for more ambulances, another paramedic class, and reform of the way we transport those who call 9-1-1.
But city manager Milton Dohoney Jr. left the entire lifesaving package out of the budget. So did mayor Mark Malllory. He wouldn't talk to us about the issue, even 'though he was a featured speaker at yesterday's graduation. He told the graduating class and more than 100 people there to congratulate them, "It's a great day for me, great day to be here. This class being the first in-house class to graduate with this new paramedic training is going to become the benchmark. I will tell you that future classes are going to try to out do what you've done."
But Mallory's own budget includes no money for any future classes or new ambulances. The city is looking at a $9 million dollar deficit which means cuts to existing programs. Still council member Jeff Berding, who chaired the task force that recommended the new medical transportation plan, says now is the time for this new expense. "This has to be the year that council prioritizes ambulances and paramedics in the budget," he says, "so that when someone's suffering or dying they're not waiting because council diverted the money for some pet project."
The president of the firefighters union, Local 48, says despite the economy, the trend for years has shown a greater demand for service, which he expects to accelerate in bad times. "We haven't added any resources since 1990," says Marc Monahan, "and it is getting worse month by month. The stats are showing it. There's times when we're out of ambulances and eventually there's going to be a bad outcome from it."
Berding says without another paramedic class to follow this one, and without the ambulances for these graduates to ride, the city won't have made any progress.
For the medics ready to take to the streets their year's training to help those who need it, the answer is simple. They're the beginning point, says newly graduated paramedic Troy Davenport. "The follow-through is what's necessary," he says. "It would be like if we started CPR but we withheld other care. It was good, but not enough to finish the job."
Council is now mulling over various versions of the budget. It goes before the Budget Committee Monday with a final vote by the full council next Wednesday.
Related Links
* I-Team Report: No Ambulances * I-Team UPDATE: Ambulance Shortage * I-Team: Task Force To Fix Ambulance Shortage * I-Team: City Acts In Response To Ambulance Report * Cincinnati City Council Discusses I-Team Ambulance Investigation * I-TEAM UPDATE: New Ambulance Policy Passed * City Council Talks About 9-1-1 Service Complaints
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Post by district5 on Dec 15, 2008 20:46:45 GMT -5
Local news Cincinnati.Com » Local news
Last Updated: 7:44 pm | Monday, December 15, 2008
Public safety a priority in city budget
By Jane Prendergast • jprendergast@enquirer.com • December 15, 2008
Cincinnati’s budget for the next two years allows for hiring more police officers and adds two ambulances, but cuts employees’ merit pay and cost-of-living adjustments, and asks unions to reopen contract talks for possible wage reductions in 2010 to avoid layoffs.
The $1.3 billion proposal, approved Monday by six of nine council members after weeks of negotiating to make up for a $14.5 million deficit, banks on gas costing $2.55 a gallon at most, cuts car allowances and tuition reimbursement, and denies Mayor Mark Mallory his request for $50,000 to add a sixth full-time aide. The general fund operating budget totals more than $375 million.
It also includes more than $3 million for two new ambulances and a new class to train more firefighters as paramedics. Fought for by Councilman Jeff Berding, that’s a first step toward the city’s plan to staff all 12 ambulances with paramedics. A study two years ago recommended the increase of the current 10 ambulances to 14.
“If my father’s having a heart attack in Westwood,” Berding said, “I don’t want to call 911 and be told an ambulance is not available.”
Six council members voted for the package: Cranley, Berding, Ghiz, Chris Bortz, Roxanne Qualls and Laketa Cole. Vice Mayor David Crowley voted against it and Councilman Cecil Thomas abstained, saying he wanted some questions answered. All council members except Cranley and Crowley, who must leave council next year because of term limits, are up for re-election in 2009.
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Post by wefr15 on Dec 29, 2008 11:23:26 GMT -5
I heard the rummor that Ambulance 20 and Ambulance 32 are going in service 1-7-09. Has anyone else heard this?
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Post by wefr15 on Dec 31, 2008 16:51:40 GMT -5
So I guess my source was wrong On January 2, 2009 at 7AM the Cincinnati Fire Department will add two additional basic life support ambulance units to the emergency medical service. These units will function twenty-four hours a day. Each unit will be staffed with two emergency medical technicians; these units will function primarily as basic life support transport units. Basic Life Support responses are those responses that are non-life threatening, i.e. a sprained ankle, cuts/abrasion, oxygen therapy etc. The fire stations that we receive one of the two new ambulance units will be; Station #12 located at 3001 Spring Grove Avenue and Station #18 located at 478 Wilmer Avenue near Lunken Airport. Station #12’s ambulance should relieve some of the demand for service calls on the west side of the city, while station #18’s will decrease the long service wait time for the east side of the city. With the addition of these two new BLS transport ambulances, the city will now have a total of eight (8) ambulance units and four (4) advanced life support rescue units. The fire department also has thirteen (13) advanced life support “paramedic” engine companies located strategically throughout the city The Cincinnati Fire Department continues to strive for public safety excellence and this is a proactive step towards our goal and mission. Cincinnati Fire Department’s Mission The mission of the Cincinnati Fire Department is to protect the lives and property and minimize the suffering of its customers during emergencies. It shall strive to quickly restore normalcy to its customers’ lives by responding to their needs in an expeditious and caring manner. Michael A. Washington Fire Captain/Public Information Officer Cincinnati Fire Training Center 564 W. Liberty St. @ Linn Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45203 michael.washington@cincinnati-oh.gov 513-352-2342 (O) 513-352-2306 (F) 513-378-6725 (C)
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Post by AndrewKBrown on Dec 31, 2008 18:20:50 GMT -5
I thought 12 already had one.
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Post by Fletch on Jan 1, 2009 12:06:46 GMT -5
I thought 12 already had one. You are correct. According to one of the guys at Squad 9, the second ambulance at the 12s will be designated A-212.
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Post by AndrewKBrown on Jan 1, 2009 20:44:50 GMT -5
I thought 12 already had one. You are correct. According to one of the guys at Squad 9, the second ambulance at the 12s will be designated A-212. That's interesting. Sounds like something common to LAFD, adding the prefix 2**, denoting the second piece. While on ambulances, what are the years of all the current ambulances? I've seen the 2003s, some 05s, ones with side windows and a lightbar on the rear box, and ones with new Ford grills.
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Post by Fletch on Jan 1, 2009 22:38:01 GMT -5
That is very common here in Hamilton County for a second piece of apparatus from the same station, especially with EMS units.
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Post by district5 on Jan 4, 2009 19:50:28 GMT -5
January 3, 2009 The Cincinnati Enquirer
Nurses at 911 could cut ambulance runs
By Jane Prendergast jprendergast@enquirer.com
Unnecessary ambulance rides to the hospital could end in Cincinnati under a proposal that would allow a public-health nurse to help triage 911 calls and hire cheaper, private vans to drive callers without emergency needs to the city's health clinics.
That's the plan being worked on by a task force set up by City Council last year to study how to make the city's ambulance system more efficient. Now, just about anyone who calls 911 and wants to go to the hospital gets an ambulance ride. The city's 10 ambulances transported people more than 31,000 times in 2007. Many use the system for rides when they don't have immediate needs.
Councilwoman Laketa Cole, who also has ridden on ambulances to familiarize herself with the issues, said, "It's sad that you have people calling 911 saying, 'My baby has a toothache.' "
That causes Cincinnati to waste money and wear out ambulances. It contributes to emergency departments filling up with people who don't need to be there, and exhausts emergency medical technicians and paramedics.
It can also keep someone waiting who seriously needs immediate assistance, said Councilman Jeff Berding, co-chairman of the task force. A review by the task force last fall found that within a month's period, 73 callers to 911 were told that no ambulances were available.
Cincinnati's program would be modeled after a similar one in Richmond, Va.; Houston also last year opted to put nurses in the city's 911 center.
Cincinnati took a different step Friday toward changing the years-old problem by putting two additional ambulances in the field to answer calls. That makes a total of 12 and was the first time the number of ambulances was increased since 1990, said Marc Monahan, president of International Fire Fighters Local 48.
The two additional ambulances - stationed near Lunken Airport and in Camp Washington - will ease the stress of current units on both sides of town, Monahan said, and hopefully allow more ambulances to remain in their designated areas.
Next, the task force will focus on eliminating the policy of hauling everyone, Berding said. A proposal should be before council for approval by spring. It would station a public-health nurse in the 911 center to advise callers who don't need immediate transport. The nurse also would set up appointments at the city's health clinics for people who need to see a doctor.
The nurse could, for example, suggest that a person take two Tylenol for a headache, Berding said, and promise to check back in a couple of hours to see if symptoms have eased. The nurse and other 911 call takers would work from a new medical protocol developed at council's direction by the fire department's medical director.
"We'll still be caring for our citizens," Berding said, "but in a much more effective way."
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Post by George Bredestege on Mar 12, 2009 8:18:57 GMT -5
Just so its clear, A212 is assigned to the primary polygons that belong to E21, and will be first amb where ever E21 is first. A18 is assigned to the polygons belonging to E46, and will be first where ever the 46's are first. Dispatch seems to think this is where they are needed most.
Yatz
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Post by WHISTLEBLOWER on Mar 13, 2009 9:59:13 GMT -5
It is clear, however, just because Dispatch thinks that's where they're needed doesn't make it right. Sometimes you just have to be smarter than the computer. This only highlights the problems with the polygon system. In order to correct the problem it cost $5000.00 per polygon! An answer might be a few post'em notes on the consoles of the dispatchers, eg...A-9 goes with E-2 & E-8. A-18 goes with E-49 & E-7 etc.... This might correct the situation where A-18 responds with E2 or E8 with A9 in quarters. I've also seen A23 going to Mt. Washington with A18 in quarters. When this was pointed out to dispatch they stated this was what the polygon recommended. I'm all for systems that make our jobs easier, but not at the expense of getting our product to the public in a timely manner. If it makes some bean counter's or non-combatant's job easier but ours more difficult, then it's time change it. ( Can you say EMS Notebooks?)
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Post by George Bredestege on Mar 29, 2009 14:18:24 GMT -5
At the fun squad, we did some location verifications on the cad to see where the fringes of our running area is on the east and west sides. To our dismay, there are a number of places where we and the other squad cross each other's first area in to reach our own. Goofy enough? On another note, the 34's were and possibly are still, covering all of the UC main campus. Even with the 19's a few hundred yards away, the 34's make the practice fields on the east side of the main campus. Why? It's all one polygon. There used to be a number of fire boxes for various areas of campus, and the ranking DC's decided who was first on the box. No matter what a GPs says, the DC's know who is gonna be first better than a computer can. Additionally, the number of polygons is far smaller than the number of fire boxes were, removing the precision put in place a hundred years ago. Sometimes more is still better
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