Safety Comes First at Baldwin EMS

     There's a lot of talk these days about safety in EMS, but it takes more than talk to get the job done. That's why the folks at Baldwin EMS in Pittsburgh, PA, decided to design their own safety-enhanced ambulance. The process began in December 2005, when Baldwin providers met with Life Line Emergency Vehicles, the state Department of Health's Bureau of EMS, and the Emergency Medical Services Institute (EMSI) to talk about building an ambulance that would improve the safety of both patients and caregivers.

     "By early 2006, we started working on some designs, which included removing sharp edges and adding five-point harnesses," says Baldwin's Lieutenant Paul Shiring. "We integrated a reverse camera so the driver can monitor what's behind him when he's backing up, and we placed a camera within the patient compartment so the operator can monitor through his rearview mirror what the patient and caregiver are doing. If the caregiver gets up to move around, the driver can adjust his driving and the route he takes. We also placed a 17-inch LCD screen in the back of the truck that gives the caregiver a real-time view of where the operator is going, so the caregiver can decide whether it's safe to get up or stay sitting based on that information."

     Other changes were made as well, says Shiring, including bringing the stretcher and equipment closer so the medic doesn't have to get up for patient care. "We all know that in a real-life situation we'd like to get in the back of the truck, put on our seatbelt and travel to the hospital, but sometimes that just doesn't happen," he says.

     Shiring also teaches a continuing education class to promote the changes to other services. "I talk about what we changed and why; the theory behind some of our ideas; how others can improve their vehicles by simply sitting in the back and noticing how the seatbelts are mounted, how things can be moved closer to the provider, and where padding can improve sharp edges."

     In exchange for generous funding from the Bureau of EMS, Baldwin EMS agreed to make the vehicle available at conferences and other appropriate venues until December 2008 so other individuals can see the improvements they've made. "If someone takes away just one thing that will improve their own units, even if it's just the color of the exterior striping, that's our primary goal," says Shiring. "The more people who see it, the better."

-MN