Rural EMS Response Times

[traumateam1]

After driving through many rural areas lately, I'm wondering how rural departments handle navigating mountains/tough terrain with extended response times.

Are people in these communities comfortable in knowing that EMS could be up to 30 minutes away? Do you use helicopter service to fly patients more often?

Coming from a system with a 10 minute commute to a trauma center I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable living life so removed from emergency medical care.

Well, here where I live if you live in the city the response time is ~10 - 15 minutes anywhere in the city code 3. However, if we respond to a small town in the surrounding area the time goes from 10-15 to about 20-30, if it's serious and any longer than a 30 minute drive than the heli would likely would be called in.
Oh and as far as the people in the community go, all of the rural towns have a volley fire/ems service. So they can have medics and fire on their door within minutes to do whatever they need to do until the ambo arrives and takes over, they just don't transport to the hospital here.

For those of you that live in the mountains, do you get used to coding in the mountains?

Yes you do, in fact... living in a mountainous area all my life, you don't even notice the difference.. it's all mountains here, so it's not that big of a deal tho.. although it's pretty funny to watch tourists from Alberta drive on our highways, they tend to drive real slow and break at ever turn on the highway lol

 

[tatersalad]

Ma'am? Sigh.. okay.. now I really feel old!

Don't take it personally Down here in the south, all the ladies get ma'amd.

My first wife was from California, so the first time I called the girl at the drive through "Ma'am" really got me a funny look...

 

[BossyCow]

Don't take it personally Down here in the south, all the ladies get ma'amd.

My first wife was from California, so the first time I called the girl at the drive through "Ma'am" really got me a funny look...

I know how you southern boys are.. married one of them and liked him so much I got his brother to marry my sister!

 

[tatersalad]

glad you understand BossyCow!

Interestingly (to me at least) I lived in Washington State for several years, just northwest of Olympia.

 

[Hal9000]

Don't take it personally Down here in the south, all the ladies get ma'amd.

True, true, though I live in Montana a part of me is always from Atlanta! I sometimes forget that out here.

 

[tatersalad]

True, true, though I live in Montana a part of me is always from Atlanta! I sometimes forget that out here.

I'm guessing "Ma'am" doesn't stand out too much in cowboy country B)

 

[Hal9000]

I'm guessing "Ma'am" doesn't stand out too much in cowboy country B)

Well, in some parts it doesn't...but in other parts, just speaking to someone makes you a weirdo.

 

[tatersalad]

that's not limited to cowboy country...

 

[tydek07]

After driving through many rural areas lately, I'm wondering how rural departments handle navigating mountains/tough terrain with extended response times.

Are people in these communities comfortable in knowing that EMS could be up to 30 minutes away? Do you use helicopter service to fly patients more often?

Coming from a system with a 10 minute commute to a trauma center I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable living life so removed from emergency medical care.

I use to volunteer for a rural service. Ambulance response time was anywhere between 5 minutes to 45 minutes, depending on where the call was. First Responder time was usually around 15 minutes out in the county. A lot, if not most, of the first responders out there are trained at the EMT-Basic level and carry most of the supplies that are on the ambulance. So... the issue is usually not being able to get medical care quickly... but getting the ride to the hospital quickly.