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San Francisco fire officials say EMS reconfiguration two-thirds complete; aim to finish hiring and deployment by March 2008
Summary
San Francisco Fire Department officials told the commission they are about two-thirds through an EMS reconfiguration that shifts from fixed 24-hour ambulances to a dynamic, data-driven deployment. Officials said the change has increased peak-period ambulance availability, set performance benchmarks (4.5-minute defibrillator target) and plans to complete hiring and training in early 2008, contingent on the city budget.
The San Francisco Fire Department told the Fire Commission on Monday that its multi-year reconfiguration of fire-based emergency medical services is roughly two-thirds finished and on track to be completed with additional hiring and training in early 2008, pending budget approvals.
"We are currently approximately 2 thirds of the way through what we're calling our EMS reconfiguration," Fire Chief Joanne Hayes White told commissioners during a special briefing. The department has moved from a system with mostly fixed, 24-hour ambulances to a mix of remaining 24-hour units and dynamically deployed ambulances that staff peak periods, Hayes White said.
The reconfiguration, the department said, has allowed it to put far more units on the street at busy times than before: where pre-merger days typically saw about 12 to 14 ambulances available, the peak-period model can put "as many as 25 ambulances" in service, officials said. Assistant Deputy Chief Pete Howes described the new approach as "system status management," using GIS posting locations and a peak-period staffing model to match resources to demand.
Officials emphasized performance goals tied to patient outcomes. Dr. John Brown, director of the…
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