Labette Health’s ambulance GPS units prove their worth
PARSONS, Kan., Jan. 28, 2010 –In an emergency, little things can often make a big difference.
For Labette Health’s Emergency Medical Service (EMS) crews, small three- by five-inch GPS units recently provided by the Labette Health Foundation have proved to be even more valuable than expected. The units, which were installed in all EMS ambulances and shuttle buses, made an immediate impact, according to Chief of Emergency Services Chris Way.
“We placed the units in service November 15. The morning after Thanksgiving, we were called to a four-wheeler accident six miles southwest of Chetopa in Craig County, Oklahoma. We had the address, but we were all unfamiliar with that part of the country. Because we had these GPS units, we were able to type in the address, and it took us right there,” he said.
“Based on the information we had received, we had already requested a helicopter transport. We were then able to switch screens and give our dispatcher the GPS coordinates to pass along to the pilot.”
Way said that the severely injured patient survived after undergoing several surgeries, thanks to the prompt medical attention he received.
The original reason for purchasing the units was to assist Labette Health’s shuttle bus drivers in finding addresses and to help EMS personnel on long-distance transports navigate in unfamiliar cities. Labette Health EMS units serve all of Labette County and parts of Neosho and Cherokee Counties in Kansas and Craig County in Oklahoma, responding to approximately 3,500 requests for service each year. Way said he asked Foundation Director Rod Landrum for help in purchasing the $200 Garmin Nuvi 1300 units in September for all ambulances and shuttles.
“When I took the request to Foundation President Brian West and the rest of the Board, they didn’t hesitate. They said, ‘This makes sense.’ The vote to purchase the units was unanimous!” Landrum said.
“We’re using them locally more than we thought we would,” Way said. “For instance, it can be hard to see street signs at night. These units will tell us where to turn so we don’t have to slow down and read every sign. It’s instant data. We had used handheld GPS in the past, but these are right there in the unit where you need them.”
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