Greater Cincinnati Emergency Preparedness Initiative

About the Program

Category: Risk and Emergency Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2010

Gaston County (NC) EMS, better known as GEMS, was faced with continuously increasing emergency call volume, high response times, and high turnover among paramedics. Annual call volume reached 35,000, average overall response time reached 15 minutes and 58 seconds, and fractile response performance decreased to 33% (percentage of calls reached under 8 minutes and 59 seconds). In addition to unacceptable response time performance, annual paramedic turnover reached 24.5%, three times higher than typical. In exit interviews, paramedics cited workload and pay as their reasons for seeking EMS employment elsewhere. GEMS estimated the cost of each turnover at $30,736, which was more than the annual starting paramedic salary. Based on a proposal presented by EMS Director Mark Lamphiear, Gaston county Commissioners approved funding for a phased growth action plan to innovatively and efficiently address call volume, response times, and turnover through the incremental implementation of transport-capable, paramedic-staffed, Quick Response Vehicles in outlying areas of the county. Implementation of the plan resulted in drastically reduced emergency response times in those areas, an overall improvement in county-wide response time, and a significant decrease in paramedic turnover, all at a minimal cost relative to traditional deployment strategies.