Field Operations
Field Operations is responsible for aspects of the provision of service outside the Clinical Practice.
Field Ops is made up of a an incredible staff of dedicated supervisors, medical staff, and support personnel that insure that we are able to meet the growing demand for service in our County.
Field Supervisors
The Field Supervisors are responsible for the direct clinical and operational oversight of the system. They provide on-line medical consultation for the ambulances. They support the system through internal and external customer service and coordination, special project work, scheduling oversight and management, and operation within the incident command system. They are "jack of all trades" and seem to manage whatever is asked of them.
Uniformed Field Staff
The Uniformed Field Staff is comprised of approximately 108 budgeted positions. Each ambulance is staffed with two certified personnel. The lead position on the ambulance is known as the "In Charge" Paramedic. These individuals have completed a credentialing process designed to verify abilities and competencies necessary to oversee the clinical and operational aspects of the job duties.
Ambulance operations could not be successful without the support from the "Attendant" position on the unit. Our Attendant staff are charged with the responsibility of the safe operation of the ambulance and the provision of medical care along side the In Charge. The majority of our Attendant staff are paramedics. We do employ EMT Intermediates and well experienced Basic EMT's as well. Our attendants receive the same professional development as the In Charge staff and ample patient care opportunities in an attempt to groom them for promotion.
Although the each has primary responsibility over certain duties, the In Charge and Attendants are encouraged to share operational and patient care duties.
Deployment
Covering 1,100 square miles with a wide array of population density creates a number of challenges. The system is designed to balance the competing demands of population based call volume and geographic coverage. This requires a mixed deployment that places ambulances in outlying areas to cover the geography regardless of call volume, and a concentration of units in the more populated areas of the county, especially along the I-45 corridor.
As units in the outlying area take calls, units from the more central portions of the county are routed into the more rural areas to maintain coverage.
The image at the right shows call volume density for the 4th quarter of 2005.
Click here for a list of stations
Paramedic Squads
In January 2001, MCHD unveiled the concept of augmenting our geographic coverage with a paramedic squad instead of additional ambulances. The concept would be a severe departure from the previous practice of basing response times on the arrival of the transport unit. We recognize that as areas of the county grow, the need for resources become apparent. Unfortunately, placing an ambulance in these areas does not necessarily serve that community well. Because of overall low volume in the immediate area of the station, the ambulance often gets pulled to higher volume areas.
This new model recognizes the fact that the magic of live saving is found in the person trained and equipped to deliver the care and not in the ambulance itself. A paramedic squad is a sport utility vehicle manned with a single paramedic and equipped with all the appropriate life saving equipment and supplies. In simple terms, the squad offers a community critical care first response by a paramedic capable of performing all the advanced procedures that would be done by the paramedic on the ambulance. Because it cannot transport, the squad is able to stay in its home community. This allows us to provide geographic coverage and reduced response times to isolated or low call volume areas.
Special Events Coverage
MCHD offers coverage for special events in the community. If you are interested in having ambulance coverage or medical personnel on site for your next large event, please contact EMS Operations at 936-521-5653 for more information.
