By EMS1 Staff
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — EMS agencies in Mich. are using software that allows them to predict calls and better respond.
Life EMS Ambulance has been using Predictive Deployment Software for the past three years.
The program uses an algorithm based on call data from the last 60 days and the last 10 minutes to accurately forecast within 10 minutes where calls for services are likely to come in.
“It tells us on a map, graphically, where the next emergency call is likely to happen,” said Mark Meijer, president and CEO of Life EMS, told Mlive.com.
The software even accounts for things like closed roads and traffic detours, according to the article.
The Predictive Deployment Software looks like a weather map, and the darkest colors indicate the highest likelihood for an emergency call.
It takes a lot of the guesswork out of deciding how many to have on staff at different times of the day, Meijer said.
In addition, Traumasoft, developed by Kalamazoo-based Pride Care Ambulance, allows agencies to manage their entire operation by pulling together GPS technology with computer-aided dispatching to help manage work crews, vehicle fleet maintenance, human resources and quality assurance.
“It essentially improves communications throughout our entire system,” Brian Barlow, CEO of Pride Care, told Mlive.com.
The software allows the company’s dispatch center to provide GPS, Google map and other information to ambulances in the field.