# How do you know where you are going?



## keith10247 (Aug 28, 2007)

So our county has provided MDCs for all of our apparatus.  We are lacking GPS functionality though.  I am currently investigating a USB type GPS receiver to attach to our MDCs.

Does anyone have a USB type GPS attached to thier MDCs? If so, what kind do you use?  If you dont have one attached to your MDC but have GPS in the unit, what brand do you find to be the best?  I am afraid of getting a seperate unit installed in to our apparatus since they tend to grow feet and walk away.


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## oldschoolmedic (Aug 28, 2007)

all of the tech stuff is nice, but it still doesn't replace a good map and area knowledge by the crew.


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## rgnoon (Aug 28, 2007)

We've got GPS in our rigs, but we joke that it takes longer to enter the destination info into it than it would to flip open the binder under the passenger seat with directions to every street in the area. I have no idea of what the brand is, but I'll take a look for you. We really only use them for mutual aid calls every so often. No doubt a good thing to have though.


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## keith10247 (Aug 28, 2007)

Thanks for the replies.  I must admit that using a map book is a quick alternative; however, my crew normally does not have an officer in the front for transporting a patient.  Therefore, I am usually in the front driving to the hospital.  My first due consists rural mountain roads that tend to go all over the place.  While area familiarization is important, it is impossible at the rate the first due is growing.


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## BossyCow (Aug 28, 2007)

Your 'first due' will result in your 'second due'.  We also have odd roads in the middle of no where that may or may not show up on a map under the name they are called.  GPS is nice, but if you have tree cover, you may not be able to acquire the signals needed to triangulate a reading.  Spending time familiarlizing yourself with the roads is your best bet.  Also, being able to admit that you have no idea where you are going and asking for directions takes less time than turning around and going back because you screwed up.  

We've also found dispatch to be helpful with cross streets.


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## Tincanfireman (Aug 28, 2007)

BossyCow said:


> We've also found dispatch to be helpful with cross streets.


 
I envy you to no end for having a knowledgable dispatch, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. LuckyYou!


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## BossyCow (Aug 28, 2007)

Our dispatch has access to county maps.  They are required to give us cross streets with the initial tones.  I've had to call them and ask for additional directions on the way to a call before.  Sometimes, with the private roads (i.e driveways and goat paths) they have to call the R.P. and get instructions for us.


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## MMiz (Aug 28, 2007)

I primarily relied on my iQue 3600 GPS unit.  There was that one time where a 15 minute response took 45 minutes, but othwise it wasn't too shabby.


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## KEVD18 (Aug 28, 2007)

i think that there is nothing better than strong map reading ability and area knowledge. that being said, who cant use a little help. i have a tom tom one. its a nice unit that has been fairly accurate for me. i liek everybody else have my horror story(ies) involving inaccurate navigation with it but in retrospect i realize that it has almost exclusively been operator error. i bought it for me, with my money. therefore it come to work with me and when i go home, guess what comes with me. pretty much eliminates the "growing legs" problem. it may not always be the absolute shortest route but it will be accurate. anybody thats worked in any city like boston knows that you might think you have the shortest route picked out in the book, but the book doesnt always show one ways so you spend that extra time trying to sort that out. the gps prevents that, but very well may send you around the block unnecessarliy. i think its a fair trade. the route you know, while it may be longerr, is better than the route your guessing at.


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## fm_emt (Sep 20, 2007)

We have some really nice map books that are updated yearly, made by Thomas Guide. Easy to use, and the dispatchers will give map grids with the call information.

a couple employees use their own GPS units, but I've noticed that they tend to rely on them a little too much. If it's just a basic transport, I'll occasionally use my iPhone with Google Maps to map out a route, and then quickly verify it with the paper map books. Google Maps did lead me the wrong way on a one-way street once, though.


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## Mercy4Angels (Oct 2, 2007)

all of our rigs have in dash GPS units and i have yet to use them. seriously know your town. start memorizing streets. have a general idea where all the main streets are and then just use a map before goin to the call this way you can say oh john street is off main street


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