Howard County units

[sc800]

Does anyone know what Chase1 and Chase2 were. They were showing up in PulsePoint for a while but haven’t seen them recently

I thought it was a new designation for EMS1 and EMS2 or MEDICAL1 and MEDICAL2 but they are still there too

 

[maus92]

Could be a station assigned PM that follows / responds with a regular ambulance to upgrade them to a Medic unit. It's also popping up in Montgomery County, though it's commonplace on the Eastern Shore. I'm not convinced it's a good thing, but the theory is that if the PM is not needed, they can return to service faster than if a Medic unit was forced to transport a BLS patient. EMS officers have upgraded skills that allow them to do advanced procedures that other PMs are not certified to perform, and generally have years of experience and expertise.

 

[sc800]

Thanks. That is what I thought. Maybe it was an experiment because I haven’t seen it in a while

they also only seemed to show up on serious calls where there was already an Ambo and engine assigned so that’s weird

 

[riveter]

Right on. Trial paramedic fly-car upgrade unit.

 

[sc800]

Thanks. Were they pulling the medics off of the engine for that? I’m assuming the goal was to stop sending suppression pieces on medicals so you didn’t end up with a ladder, engine, and ambo all at an abnormal labs call at the nursing home

 

[riveter]

That's what's done for the EMS Surge Plan, which you can see some info about on the website. The shout cars are included in the daily staffing, rather than being a reduction in force on the suppression pieces.

 

[maus92]

Interesting that they are using them when hospitals are on Reroute - but I'm still unclear where the "extra" PM is coming from? Are they reducing staffing to minimum on other apparatus?

 

[sc800]

If they are not reducing staffing on other units then my guess would be that they are on OT. Unless they are using volunteers and office staff to fill in gaps on apparatus