A message primarily to: All current EMS members Mishap Report It will never happen to you, right? Here are summaries of mishaps reported to the EMS Department over the past few months. What could have been done to prevent these? BACKING COLLISIONS: An ambulance, backing with one spotter, made...
Department
Posts authored by the Virginia Beach Department of EMS
Ambulance turning guidance
Members, Improper turns that result in “curbing” tires and side-swiping obstacles are *major* problems in our system, especially with ambulances. In the past 3 days, we’ve had at least 3 ambulances damaged and taken out of service by these errors. Unfortunately, that rate of damage is not terribly...
Ambulance backing guidance
Members, Improper backing is one of our top three vehicle safety problem areas. The following graphic has been reviewed by all squad commanders and provides guidance that we should be using when backing ambulances. Please note a couple of instructions that may be new to you: ...
Vehicle Safety — where we stand
Members, Recently, we’ve been doing a bunch of analysis on “possible fault vehicle events” in the VB EMS system. These are vehicle damage events that may have been our fault. All these events are severely disruptive to operations. Here’s a complicated graphic showing the relative frequency of...
Mishap Report
A message primarily to: All current EMS members Mishap Report It will never happen to you, right? Here are summaries of mishaps recently reported to the EMS Department. What could have been done to prevent these? An ambulance struck a mailbox when attempting to pull into a tight driveway....
LifePak 12-Lead Transmission and Downloads
Transmitting 12-lead EKG’s to the hospital Released 6/24/19 Gently connect the USB cable from the LifePak to the EMR. Press TRANSMIT on the LifePak and operate as normal with a HOSPITAL as the site. Then select SEND. Make note of the Lifepak’s serial number. You will need that...
Keeping the wheels from falling off
A message primarily to: All EMS members Keeping the wheels from falling off A simple step in your check-off can prevent a major malfunction Yesterday, a tandem set of wheels fell off of one of our ambulances as it was transporting a patient. The ambulance tilted to one corner...
Station Traffic Signal Pre-Empt Button
Please remember to use the station traffic signal pre-empt button every time that you leave the station in emergency mode. Controlling the traffic with traffic lights is much safer that requesting them to stop with your lights and sirens. But always proceed with caution and ensure that everyone stops...
Backer/Spotter Roles and Responsibilities
Please click below for backer and driver duties while backing a vehicle including hand signals. Click here: https://www.vbems.com/wp-content/uploads/Backer-responsibility.pdf
Gates and Barrier Arm Best Practices
Please remember that the gates/arms are designed to let ONE vehicle pass through before the gate closes. Never try to follow a vehicle through the gate without reentering the code or waiting for it to close and reopen. Click here for more information: Gate arm info