Editor’s note: Last week, we ran a column by Jim Love looking back at the 10-year anniversary of an ambulance crash in his agency that took the life of paramedic Josh Hanson. Jim used the occasion to reflect on the safety culture that allowed the crash to happen. As a follow-up, we’ve interviewed Ron Thackery, the Vice President of Professional Services at AMR — the company that managed the EMS system in which both Josh and Jim worked at the time of Josh’s death.
EMS1: In Jim Love’s recent column about Josh Hanson’s death, he describes receiving the call about the crash that took Hanson’s life. Can you recall what you experienced when you heard the news?
RT: I was visiting my in-laws in Scranton, Pa., for Thanksgiving. I remember getting Jim’s call and having serious concern about Josh and Ali. I drove from Scranton to the Cape in Massachusetts for the funeral — seemed like it took forever with thoughts of this collision running through my head.
EMS1: Since you’re VP of Professional services, we’re assuming this wasn’t the first or last time you heard about a medic getting into a crash or losing their life. How do you deal with that aspect of the job?
RT: It is by far the most difficult part of my job. Something of this nature can affect an entire organization. It happened in our company and it happens in others. At the end of the day it motivates us to better understand why it occurred and to take action to prevent it in the future.
EMS1: In EMS, there are opposing priorities between needing your crews to arrive on scene safely and risking their lives (and the lives of other drivers) to make it to the scene within the “Golden Hour,” an idea that seems to have been turned on its head in recent years. Can you go into some detail about how you determine when it’s okay to speed to calls?
RT: That is an interesting question. With my experience in EMS, I’ve become less convinced that the benefit of speeding to a call outweighs the risk.
EMS1: Jim’s article mentions that neither Josh nor his partner was wearing seatbelts when they crashed. Do you think it’s still tough to get medics to wear safety belts? What do you think is the best way to change this part of EMS culture? Do you think it has changed in the ten years since Josh’s death?
RT: Use of seatbelts in the cab of an ambulance appears to have increased. AMR enforces a policy requiring seatbelts while driving any company vehicle. When driving, if I see an ambulance and am able to see the cab — I always check to see if they have their seatbelts fastened. As for the patient compartment, that remains a challenge. I know Caregivers who keep themselves belted while providing patient care. They advocate their ability to do so when challenged by others who claim it’s impossible. Caregivers need to plan their journey to the receiving facility so that before departure they gather everything they’ll need for patient care and have it safely stored within arm’s reach — that will avoid one need for being unbelted. Interestingly, only about 1 percent of all patients require chest compressions. So that is rarely a legitimate excuse for not being belted.
EMS1: We’ve heard numerous medics say that they wish they got more training in safe driving practices. What kinds of steps does AMR take to ensure their medics are safe drivers?
RT: We developed a customized EVOC course that is provided for new hires and remediation. We run monthly safety awareness campaigns, and vehicle safety is often the featured topic. We have a training program, AMR4U, which addresses specific driver safety issues. We routinely conduct MVR checks, have Driver Qualifications, and we host an annual competition that recognizes our best Caregivers, among others.
EMS1: Besides the issue of safety belts, are there any other aspects of EMS driving culture that you think need to change?
RT: The practice of proceeding through a controlled intersection against a red light while running emergent — we have opportunities to make this safer — and maintaining fuel efficiency while balancing the needs of patient comfort.