Alarming Statistics for Emergency Vehicle Operations
Emergency vehicle operations requires training, driver competency, and demonstrated skill for a safe response. Each year there are approximately 6,500 ambulance crashes in the US. Most incidents occur when a driver is operating in the emergency mode. A recent study found that there was an increase in crash risk whenever an ambulance operated with lights and sirens. When vehicles operated in a non-emergency mode, the collision risk was 7.0 per 100,000 transports, the risk increased to 16.5 when operating with lights and sirens.¹
Crash Data
In just the first two months of 2023, there have been at least 39 crashes in the US involving ambulances and fire apparatus. This number doesn’t account for the incident scenes where stationary emergency vehicles were struck.²
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the United States Fire Administration (USFA) have estimated that fire apparatus crashes are the second leading cause of death for first responders, with rollovers involved in 66% of the crashes.³
Joint Position Statement For Emergency Vehicle Operations
Joint Position Statement For Emergency Vehicle OperationsFourteen agencies released a joint position statement in 2022 citing research and making recommendations for agencies when developing SOPs for emergency vehicle
operations and response. Agencies involved included the American Ambulance Association, the American College of Emergency Physicians, and the International Association of EMS Chiefs. Additional participants included the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the NREMT, the National Association of State EMS Officials, the National Volunteer Fire Council, and Paramedic Chiefs of Canada.
Recommended Best Practices For Emergency Vehicle Operations
This joint statement recommended that:
- All emergency vehicle operators should successfully complete a robust initial emergency vehicle driver training program
- Emergency response agencies should require regular continuing education on emergency vehicle driving skills
- Operators should regularly review agency SOPs for the appropriate use of lights and sirens
- Agencies should use response-based EMD categories and other local policies to further identify and operationalize the situations where lights and siren response or transport are clinically justified
- Response agencies should use these dispatch categories to prioritize expected L&S response modes
- The EMS agency, physicians, medical director, and QA programs must be engaged in developing these agency operational policies/guidelines
Reducing the Use of Lights & Sirens
For EMS, the purpose of using lights and sirens is to improve patient outcomes. This is achieved by decreasing the time to arrive on the scene or the time to transport to the hospital. However, studies have shown that only a small percentage of medical emergencies have better outcomes from the use of lights and sirens. In fact, the use of lights and sirens creates significantly more risk to responders and the public.
Best practices recommend that an EMS response to an emergency or when transporting patients, L&S should only be used for situations where the time saved is anticipated to be clinically important to a patient’s outcome. Lights and sirens should not be used when returning to the station or posting on stand-by assignments.¹
Standards-Based Training For Emergency Vehicle Operators
These recommendations from the joint position paper, along with other accepted national standards were utilized in the development of a 4-title series from Action Training Systems, “Emergency Vehicle Operations”.
The titles in this series highlight the role of the Emergency Vehicle Operator (EVO) and their responsibilities. There is always the risk of criminal allegations and lawsuits related to emergency vehicle collisions. It is important that the EVO understands the rules and laws they must operate under during an emergency response.
Emergency vehicle operators are also responsible for ensuring that the vehicles they drive are in good mechanical condition. Following a systematic and organized inspection of the vehicle before each shift provides the best assurance that the vehicle will perform properly.
Training Goals
The Action Training Systems’ series emphasizes the need for EVOs to be thoroughly trained and have proven competency in the skills required for emergency vehicle operations. Familiarization and experience with the vehicle they drive are critical. To reduce collision risk, EVOs must be able to safely maneuver in all kinds of conditions and always be anticipating the actions or inaction of other drivers.
The titles in the Emergency Vehicle Operations series include:
- Operator Responsibilities
- Driving Skills & Techniques
- Operator Response Guidelines
- Vehicle Inspection & Maintenance
EVO Priorities
The priority for all emergency vehicle operators is to ensure the safety of themselves and their crew, their patients, and the public. This series is designed to enhance an emergency driving training curriculum and to provide participants with the foundational knowledge required according to the NFPA, IAFC, and NAEMT.
For more information, visit www.action-training.com or call, 800-755-1440
References:
1.https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/road-users/emergency-vehicles/
