Re: weather minimums- ambulance

[Helodoc@aol.com]

In a message dated 1/20/01 22:20:56 Eastern Standard Time, BINER626@aol.com 
writes:

<< The only weather minimums I am aware of are not in a written protocol per 
 se. Just use good judgment. If the county schools are out shut down all 
 non-emergency calls. You wouldn't want to risk a patient and a crew's life 
 for a doctors appointment. But if the appointment is an urgent surgical 
 consult i.e. DVT then by all means take the call.  Personally I would handle 
 it on a case by case basis.
  >>
I would disagree, on the same grounds that we try not to let the patient 
condition influence the pilot's decision to fly.  I think it is a great idea 
to generate weather minima for ground transport.  The real problem is where 
can you get that information in real time?  Current weather forecasting is 
directed toward aviation and maritime transportation.  Although there are 
several initiatives toward Intelligent Transportation Systems, which might 
provide real time road condition information, we are not there yet.  Probably 
the best you can do is to brainstorm with your drivers on what situations 
make them nervous.  Incorporate those into some sort of go/no-go algorhythm, 
then follow the results with good quality management, using the feedback loop 
to refine the results.  Some initial ideas might be to use school closings, 
visibility across your own parking lot, or (in urban areas) the information 
from a "traffic watch" service.

Good luck,

Dave Thomson

David P. Thomson, MS, MD, FACEP
Associate Professor
Emergency Medicine
Upstate Medical University
Syracuse, NY 13210
315.464.6219 voice
315.464.6229 fax

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