Originally Posted by CanadianPsycho
EMT/PCP here
Code red is when there is one or less ambulances available in a given region. It happens so often these days that it barely raises an eye-brow. When I was in on practicum in Calgary, over 1 month I think they had at least 10 code reds. Alot of them are stupid calls, you'd be amazed how often ambulances are called for someone with the sniffles, a stubbed toe, leg cramps (yes really, I personally attended that call), or a tooth ache. Any major call however will have an ambulance diverted off a routine call for it though. and usually when one place goes code red outlying ambulances will be brought in. For example, when Calgary goes Code Red ambulances will be brought in from Okotoks, Airdrie, Cochrane, etc.
One of the major issues is that once we pick up a pt we cannot leave them until care is accepted by equal or higher level of care. At large hospitals (Foothills, PLC, etc.) there is several ambulances arriving every hour along with walk in pts. Thats alot of people coming through and the beds fill up. Critical pts will be seen immediately, but if you bring in someone with a cold you will most likely be waiting quite some time in the hall. Meaning your ambulance is out of service. Sometimes one crew will monitor several patients while waiting, but that is dependent on the service and what brings the patients in.
Alberta actually has quite a few private ambulance services. For strictly EMS there is Guardian in rocky and whitecourt, Prairie EMS in the North East, Associated Ambulance, Stettler Ambulance, Caroline Ambulance and most Reserves run their own ambulances. For integrated services (both EMS and fire provided by one company) there is Strathcona Fire, Lethbridge Fire, Red Deer Emergency Services, and Fort MacMurray. And in most major cities fire fighters are trained to at minimum EMR level allowing them to at least support the pt until EMS arrives while not the same level of care it keeps people alive until EMS can transport or provide further interventions. fire is usually only dispatched to high level calls (think man down, cardiac arrests, difficulty breathing, major trauma events, etc). Almost everywhere else is AHS, which in my opinion runs a decent show. Could it be better, absolutely, but it does a decent enough job with the resources available.
Please forgive any rambling or weird writing. Just got off a 14hr shift.
|