Ambulance Operations
The ambulance fleet in Canada consists of
What is Type 1 heavy duty
type 2 standard van
type 3 specialty van
What is belt noise
chirping or squealing sound synchronous with engine speed
What factors should be considered when calling an air ambulance?
The golden hour (hour that starts right after the incident)
Reduced transport time giving a better chance to the patient to survive.
Advanced skills from the crew needed
Remote areas
Where we are transporting
Weather
Altitude limitations
Terrain
What is the potential of crash (due to environmental conditions)
What are some examples of critical infrastructure?
When should command be established in an MCI?
After the scene assessment and the 3 basic questions
What did the Ambulance corps consist of?
A physician, a quartermaster, a noncommissioned officer, a drummer boy to carry bandages, and 24 infantrymen
What are some causes of and define brake fade
What are the advantages of using an air ambulance
What is disaster management?
What is the role of the staging officer
To locate a safe, strategic place to stage equipment and responders, tracks when the unit arrives, sending out vehicles as needed
Who is responsible for the delivery of ambulance services in Canada
Provinical and municipal governments
What is the most common cause of steering pull?
Uneven tire pressure
What are disadvantages of using an air ambulance?
What is Span of Control?
What are 3 questions a responder should ask themselves when arriving at an MCI?
What do I have
What do I need to do
What resources do I need to
Provide examples of some essential equipment that should be found on all ambulances.
Define wheel bounce and wheel wobble
What should you do after a helicopter has landed?
You should not approach the helicopter until the pilot tells you its okay. All rotors should be stopped before you approach if possible, the tail rotor is the most dangerous. Always approach the helicop the the front or the side, never the back. This ensures the pilot sees you at all times. Follow the aircrew instructions when approaching and leaving the helicopter.
What are 3 command functions within ICS?
IC assesses incident
establish the strategic objectives and priorities
develops a plan to manage incident
What is START triage?
Step 1: call out, if they can walk to you = green tags
Step 2: breathing: if they aren’t breathing, readjust head for airway, if they don’t start breathing = black, if they do = red
If the breathing is between 10-30, assess circulation, if not, red tag
Step 3: circulation: more than two seconds= red tag, less than two seconds = assess mental status and control bleeding
How is transmission fluid checked
often checked with the motor running and in park
Define dynamic development
Ambulances move around during the day, as they cover the areas of service. minimum amount of available units in a given area
Describe in detail a helicopter landing zone.
Large enough to accommodate rotary-winged aircraft
Firm and level landing ground, no loose objects or debris that can be pulled into the rotors or engine, including clothing, IV poles or anything relatively light weight.
Remove sheets from stretcher
Be aware of wires overhead, remove any unnecessary vehicles
Mark the landing site with one visible light at each corner, mark the side of prevailing winds,
Don’t shine any light up towards the pilot, it can blind him/her
Turn headlights off, place ambo under the wires to indicate that to the pilot
What roles do the General Staff within ICS consist of?
Operations
Planning
Logistics
Finance/administration
How do you handle ambulatory patients in an MCI?
“Walking wounded” – green tags
“If you can walk come to this location”
Bus may transport these patients