Learning Your Territory

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Everybody is saying, "If you are going to be a rig driver you need to learn your territory."

How do you learn a large new territory if you are not familiar with the territory? I understand that your partner will help you on the way to the scene, but what do you do when your partner is in the back?

I really do need to learn as quickly as possible.
 
Next time you're on call, take someone who us familiar with the area and drive the rig around town, having him/her show you the basics. Common roads, group/nursing homes, etc. Never depend on a GPS. It's a nice tool, but if it stops working, or gets messed up, you're SOL if you don't know where you're going.


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I actually am in a similar situation. I'm trying to learn my first-due area as well. I thought a useful teaching aid would be a large map of the area without any street names or labels, that way someone could point to a street and ask me to identify it. Of course, the other person would either have to know every street or have another map as a guide to check if I'm right or wrong.

There is a mapping company (here in MD and likely the surrounding area, people would know the company as ADC, but the company goes by other names in other areas) that will custom-make maps for you. I have contacted this company and confirmed that even though it's not a listed option, they can indeed make maps without street names or labels. Their price for a 36" x 48" laminated map starts at $199. You specify what area you want to be covered by the map.

https://www.universalmap.com/t-mapsondemand.aspx
 
Drive around.

Learn major routes to your common hospitals.

For example I usually go to Hospital A (19/20 times unless we're going to a Level 1 Trauma Center/ hospital with chrisis/ hospital with a cath lab ). The easiest way to get to Hospital A is to take Road A ( Straight Shot ). The only other two roads to take to the Hospital are B and C. Both B and C run into A.

Then just learn how to get to those common roads from different parts in the town.

THEN DRIVE AROUND

Learn Landmarks. Learn Major roads, complex's, developments, nursing homes, banks, walmarts, and of course FOOD PLACES the easiest to remember. Otherwise just keep driving around to get used to the area. Start taking different routes to get to your building each day.
 
If you want to learn your area and actually know it and trust yourself to know it, never, ever, no matter what use a GPS.

I like the previous post. It's the best way to learn the area. Drive around, then look at the map. Place landmarks at intersections in your head. It works.
 
*Another Idea*

I used to do this and still do to an extent.

Scan the radio. When Police/Fire are dispatched in your town, try to visualize in your head exactly where they're going. Then check on a map if your not sure. Then think of the easiest transport route from there..

You can also do this for Mutual Aid Police/Fire/EMS as you can easily be dispatched to your mutual aid towns.
 
The "Drive Around" concept has been the best one for us. I'll take a new hire out and, while having them drive the vehicle, I'll guide them through the response zone, pointing out landmarks, major roads, and acceptable shortcuts. It seems to work much better for the new hires to be the driver rather than the passenger because they have to pay closer attention to their surroundings.
 
StickySideDown said:
*Another Idea*

I used to do this and still do to an extent.

Scan the radio. When Police/Fire are dispatched in your town, try to visualize in your head exactly where they're going. Then check on a map if your not sure. Then think of the easiest transport route from there..

You can also do this for Mutual Aid Police/Fire/EMS as you can easily be dispatched to your mutual aid towns.
Click to expand...

Definitely. In your down time, listen to other units and navigate yourself to their scenes. Now, after almost 20 years in my small county, I take not if I can't picture the exact address of a dispatch and look it up when I can. Not having navigational stress makes my job so fun and easy.
 
StickySideDown said:
*Another Idea*

I used to do this and still do to an extent.

Scan the radio. When Police/Fire are dispatched in your town, try to visualize in your head exactly where they're going. Then check on a map if your not sure. Then think of the easiest transport route from there..

You can also do this for Mutual Aid Police/Fire/EMS as you can easily be dispatched to your mutual aid towns.
Click to expand...

Definitely. In your down time, listen to other units and navigate yourself to their scenes. Now, after almost 20 years in my small county, I take not if I can't picture the exact address of a dispatch and look it up when I can. Not having navigational stress makes my job so fun and easy.
 
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