title: Ambulance safety first: experts convene to discuss personal & patient safety issues.
abstract: Six national experts formed an Ambulance Safety Roundtable at the 25th Annual EMS Today Conference & Exposition in March 2007 in Baltimore to discuss safety concerns, from current poor ambulance design to methods for improving driving skills. The event--sponsored by Wheeled Coach and moderated by Rick Patrick, MS, EMT-P, a safety expert and deputy fire chief for the Estero (Fla.) Fire Rescue District--highlighted issues regarding personal and patient safety. Patrick led the discussion by noting that available data indicates an increase in the number of ambulance crashes each year. In addition to the personal toll these collisions inflict, more and more ambulance operators are being held accountable for incidents they cause. Charges of negligent homicide and costly lawsuits are becoming more common. As a result, the care and safety of prehospital providers while traveling to and from calls has become a critical issue for many emergency service providers.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: McCallion
mesh_terms: D000552:Ambulances; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D006126:Group Processes; D006801:Humans; D010361:Patients; D017751:Safety Management; D014481:United States