EMS officials push security-override systems at gated communities

[MMiz]

EMS officials push security-override systems at gated communities

At about 9:23 p.m. April 7, emergency personnel were dispatched to Bluffton's Baynard Park to respond to a 62-year-old man suffering a massive heart attack.

Though Beaufort County Emergency Medical Services paramedics arrived at the neighborhood's security gate in about four minutes, they were held up for two to three minutes because they couldn't open the unmanned gate, according to a report provided by the county Friday afternoon. Responders arrived at the patient's home nearly nine minutes after leaving the station.

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[reaper]

Most in FL use the siren switch. You just turn on the yelp for 5 seconds and the gate will open. Much easier then remembering codes or carrying a key!

 

[Aidey]

Thats cool, I had never heard of a system like that. I believe that fire, EMS and police should all have the means to access communities that have restricted access.

I live in a gated apartment complex, and I am very distressed that the ambulance has no way of entering themselves. We have to wait for the fire dept to respond with their over ride key. The FD usually beats us to the scene, but when they have big fires or MVAs their responses can be very slow. If it's at night, or a weekend the managers are not on site so they can't let anyone in either. I know our ambulances have had to sit and wait at some of the gated areas in our city. One instance happened a few weeks ago where the ambulance went to the main gate, but the FD had entered through a back access, leaving the ambulance to sit out there waiting for a while.