10.
CONTROL AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS
it
for
10.1
As indicated in the previous sections of the report, is recommended that separate controls are established emergency and routine duties. Each Control should develop the capability of aggregating data on the number and type of calls on a routine basis, assisted by a computer, with relevant breakdowns and analyses of trends and geographical distribution.
10.2 The FSCC emergency control should preferably be manned by personnel specialising in ambulance operations, as ambulance control differs from general fire service control in several respects. The facilities should be upgraded to enable control staff to maintain more detailed tracking of vehicles and more flexible mobilisation procedures. The planned introduction of the Second Generation Mobilising System may meet these requirements, provided that it can supply the following features:
(a)
to
The ability to locate available vehicles precision of the nodes developed for the road network for this study.
the
(b)
A 90 per cent success rate of transmissions the encoder system.
using
(c)
An increase in space for voice communication that the maximum delay in establishing voice tact is in the ten second to twenty second range.
such
con-
10.3
New tasking forms should be employed as discussed in Section 7.13 of the Report on Emergency Cover, and activation times should be monitored more accurately in FSCC. More frequent re-directing of vehicles to attend calls and more back-up between depots would be beneficial to emergency cover performance.
10.4
The Control for routine cases should be manned entirely by Ambulance Command Staff. These tasks are different in kind from those required for emergency calls, and entail planning, routing and the development of close working relationships with hospital and clinic staff. and with Hospital Controllers. Towards the end of each day ad hoc adjustments can be expected as patients or vehicles become delayed. Loads and routes should preferably be planned the previous evening as outlined in Section 3(c) of the Report on Routine Services, distinguishing between two man crew and three man crew trips. Eventually this could become computer assisted, by employing an independent microcomputer at each site.
10.5
Three radio consoles will be required for the routine Control. These could be based at a single site
three of
sites in the respective regions.
or
at
The advantage the latter is that it could facilitate liaison with local hospitals and rapid resolution of queries and problems as they
emerge.
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