# Average EMS Response Time



## MMiz (May 1, 2006)

I was shocked to find out ours, and was wondering if anyone knew your average EMS response time.

To the communities we serve, our average respond time for a paramedic to arrive on scene is *3:20*.  This time is verified by both our GPS tracking, and PD (We are in the PD's GPS system, and they monitor too).

I thought that was pretty impressive.  

Our fast response time is actually one of the reasons why I stopped picking up so many shifts.  In order to keep response times super fast, they'd only put senior medics on the city cars, and then those senior medics had to be "certified" for that city.  They had to pass an insane map test and whatnot.  That means BLS were booted out


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## nsmedic393 (May 1, 2006)

I don't know what our actual times are, but we are contractually obligated to be on scene in under 10 minutes in any town or city. less than 20 in rural areas.

I work rural and there are some areas that we just can't get to in under 20 minutes. The furthest point in my coverage is 45 minutes from the base.


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## Jon (May 1, 2006)

It SOUNDS impressive.

But - how is that determined? There is an article on emsresponder.com on this right now. AMR has just won a contract in the NorthWest where they will "end" the response clock "when they start slowing down" Other question - when do you start measuring the times?


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## MMiz (May 1, 2006)

I know that time is measured from our dispatch taking call, until we click "on scene".

It's the norm not to press on scene until you're *actually* on scene.

The company before us got caught messing with their times.  We're dispatched for a third party dispatch system, who also tracks our times.  Our units are monitored by our dispatch and PD.  In addition to calling on-scene, PD will also call us on-scene when we arrive.  A good part of the time we arrive on scene first, so we'll get on the PD radio and call on scene.

I agree, I think EMS response times are a pile of crap, but I can say that my company is anal about doing the "right thing."  

The way it works... call comes into 911, if it's a medical, then it it sent to our dispatch and PD listens in.  They dispatch their units, we dispatch ours.

We have three units that under contract *can not leave the city* (36 square miles).  They're literally stickered with the city's name.

Those units are supplemented by 3+ additional ALS units.

I can tell you that when I worked in the city (midnight shift), I only had two calls that had a 5+ minute response.  Any 5+ minute responses go before a board.  One call was for not having units available after a big MVC, and another was because we couldn't get into the gate of the community (We didn't call on scene until we actually were on scene).


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## ffemt8978 (May 1, 2006)

Our average time from page to arrival is 12:16, but we're allowed 45 minutes by state law.


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## joemt (May 1, 2006)

7 minutes in town, and up to 20 in the rural areas.... that's the average.


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