SSM (System Status Managment)

[Jon]

http://publicsafety.com/article/article.jsp?id=2030&siteSection=14

Bledsoe makes a great claim that SSM is evil and destroys all that is good.


About the only time that I work any form of SSM is for occasional special events. The largest are 100-mile bike rides in a day. We need to have our units along the course so that they can respond to emergencies along the route (lots of backcountry roads). We end up getting moved around to best cover the course, especially the bulk of the riders. Our managment group ends up denoting a large number of staging areas we can be placed, and pre-screen them, so that we'll have enough room to get off the road and be out of the way. I can't see covering a fluid event like that any other way.


Jon

 

[JPINFV]

From my understanding, there's a difference between dynamic deployment and true SSM. SSM tries to predict call locations (hence the constantly moving units) whereas dynamic deployment simply moves units as the population density moves. It makes sense to place additional units near freeways during rush hour, near industrial areas and downtown or business districts during the day, and near homes at night because that's were the population is. On the other hand, saying "The next call is going to be in map grid X based on the past 3 months of data" is a misuse of statistics.

Similarly, it makes sense to move units down a marathon route as the marathon runs because that's where the people are going to be. I doubt that anyone is going to claim that the ambulance following behind the horses at a horse race is practicing some small form of SSM.

 

[Akulahawk]

Staffing a road bicycle race is a little different than a typical SSM. In those, you're dealing with a closed medical system, only a certain number patients, whose baselines are well known. You also know where those potential patients are...

 

[medicdan]

Interesting article... but i'm stumped. Even in the absence of evidence proving it's worth, in fact evidence that SSM leads to increased vehicle maintnence costs, provider stress, and chronic back pain, why is it still employed? I'd like to say that the privare company I work for uses it, but they have evidence to back their practices (because we are mainly transfer, they post trucks based on scheduled calls, or set posts to maintain coverage over contracted facilities).

I hear anecdodal evidence from friends who know of SSM systems, but nationally, how many still use SSM? Have any statistical models been shown to work?

 

[46Young]

From my understanding, there's a difference between dynamic deployment and true SSM. SSM tries to predict call locations (hence the constantly moving units) whereas dynamic deployment simply moves units as the population density moves. It makes sense to place additional units near freeways during rush hour, near industrial areas and downtown or business districts during the day, and near homes at night because that's were the population is. On the other hand, saying "The next call is going to be in map grid X based on the past 3 months of data" is a misuse of statistics.

Similarly, it makes sense to move units down a marathon route as the marathon runs because that's where the people are going to be. I doubt that anyone is going to claim that the ambulance following behind the horses at a horse race is practicing some small form of SSM.

FDNY EMS and participating 911 provider hospitals are staged on fixed street corners throughout the city. In areas of high population density each unit may only be a few blocks away, versus a few miles on the outskirts of the outer boroughs. Some units are run down for the overnight (T1) hours. Once in a blue moon a unit may be moved to another CSL for coverage, but it's rare. It sucks that you're sitting on a corner, but it works the best of any systems I've worked for or heard about thus far. That is, it works well if units don't hold their 10-81 (out at the ED) for too long. From what I can remember you have no more than 30 seconds to show 10-63 (responding), and you're already on the street. When working out of a station, time is made up getting dressed and getting out of the station, not driving like a maniac to the call.

I think that the article said that the response times were cut by 30-40 seconds or so after SSM implementation. If you place units on the street rather than in stations, you can cut 30-45 seconds of response times just by being on the road already. No waking up, getting out of the bathroom, getting dressed, etc. Any fool can see that.

 

[46Young]

Interesting article... but i'm stumped. Even in the absence of evidence proving it's worth, in fact evidence that SSM leads to increased vehicle maintnence costs, provider stress, and chronic back pain, why is it still employed? I'd like to say that the privare company I work for uses it, but they have evidence to back their practices (because we are mainly transfer, they post trucks based on scheduled calls, or set posts to maintain coverage over contracted facilities).

I hear anecdodal evidence from friends who know of SSM systems, but nationally, how many still use SSM? Have any statistical models been shown to work?

SSM lets these systems get by with using the absolute least amount of units/personnel to get the job done on a daily basis. I suppose that not needing to pay the additional personnel that would be needed based on the old system must outweigh the additional fuel/wear and tear on their rigs. That's the only reason that I can see as to why a system would keep SSM running.

I'm sure that turnover is quite high at a SSM agency due to burnout/injury. I would also infer that these agencies have a constant applicant pool to replace the resignations. This would also allow the agency to hire at with a lower salary/benefit package. If no one was willing to apply there to work under those conditions, they would face a critical staffing shortage, and be forced to change their working conditions.

 

[JPINFV]

In terms of posting vs station deployment, I think there's way too many variables to decide which is better/best. Yes, 24 hour crews should have stations (and if the units run anything approaching a serious amount of calls, probably shouldn't be running 24s anyways). 8, 10, 12? Really depends, probably can easily get by without.

Other factors:
Policy on crews leaving vehicle or posting at provider's homes if house is near posting spot?

Portable radios or pagers?

Type of vehicle? (type 1, 2, 3, medium duty)

Call volume?