By EMS1 Staff
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — In an effort to reduce the number of non-emergency transports, an ambulance agency will transport some patients by cabs instead of an ambulance.
The move to using cabs hopes to address the needs of frequent utilizers of EMS while also keeping ambulances available for emergency situations. County officials have implemented the cabs as part of the “Right Size Response Program,” where dispatchers use a series of questions to determine whether a caller needs an immediate ambulance response.
However, the questionnaire does not always prevent adequate coding, and caused ambulance and fire truck to respond to the same call, reported WFTV.
County officials plan to provide taxi vouchers to non-emergency patients. A release form may also be provided, so crews can respond to another medical call before a taxi arrives.
“They don’t want to tie up an ambulance any more than we want them to tie up an ambulance. Some people get it,” Volusia County Fire Chief Jim Bland said.
The daily number of ambulance transports has decreased by 10, and by six for fire trucks.
“What we’re trying to prevent is someone that needs an ambulance not having access to one when someone that doesn’t need an ambulance has access to one,” Chief Bland said.