EMS World

APR 2014

EMS World Magazine is the most authoritative source in the world for clinical and educational material designed to improve the delivery of prehospital emergency medical care.

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VEHICLE OPERATIONS was in the process of citing the RAA oper- ator when a report showing the fact all lights were activated was produced. The RAA operator was not cited. CRM Safe Vehicle Operation RAA operates under the notion an ambulance is a crew-served vehicle. Using principles of crew resource management, both employees are highly encouraged to be active partici- pants. The topic of distracted driving has grown significantly over the past few years. The primary concern is texting or cell phone usage. However, there have been distractions since Henry Ford started mass producing the automobile. Drivers are distracted by the weather, other people in the vehicle, children in the backseat arguing, consumption of food—the list goes on. Society tells people these distractions are dangerous and yet EMS adds more distractions and then mandates safe vehicle operations. Adrenaline added to lights and sirens, radio traffic, GPS, patient care and other vehicle actions are certainly a recipe for disaster. Using the aviation industry standard of a sterile cockpit RAA encour- ages 100% concentration by the crew. This suggests the crew is not allowed to have non-task-oriented conversation or activity during the response phase. They are also encouraged to actively use this concept in all stages of vehicle movement. After-Action Review/Root Cause Analysis Each vehicle contact is investigated and analyzed with a goal of determining the root cause of the event. This means RAA is looking for the ultimate reason the incident has occurred. A common type of contact is the mirror tap. The streets of Richmond, VA, are not conducive to parked vehicles on each side with two-way traffc passing in between. Mirrors stick out the farthest and are the most susceptible to damage. The root cause is not the narrow street; however, it is the fact one of the two vehicles failed to stop so the other could pass. These root causes help management determine if there is an issue with training, equipment, processes or personnel so corrective actions can be taken. Self-Reporting Employees are encouraged to partici- pate in the self-reporting program for any unexpected event. This includes vehicle problems and equipment issues, in addition to clinical performance and operational problems. Self-reporting is a good sign of a progressive organiza- tion. Fostering an environment where management demonstrates problems For More Information Circle 35 on Reader Service Card EMSWORLD.com | APRIL 2014 33 EMS_26-36_CoverReport0414.indd 33 3/13/14 2:39 PM

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