City infrastructure is what holds the community together. It keeps people healthy, safe, and happy. However, I have noticed a detrimental flaw in not only the infrastructure of our community, but the entire nation’s. This flaw affects one of the most important aspects of infrastructure, the healthcare system. This system includes hospitals and doctors’ offices. The problem I have identified affects ambulances.
Ambulances sometimes cannot get to emergencies fast enough. Often, the reason first responders cannot get patients to a hospital in time is because of traffic jams. In 2017, 20% of emergency patients’ deaths were caused by traffic jams.(The Nation, 2017) Another reason is ambulance crashes. From 1990 to 2009, there was a total of 84,810 ambulance crashes. Out of these, 121 were fatal. 51 of these crashes involved ambulances currently in emergency use.(Casey C. Grant, P.E., and Brian Merrifield, 2011) A third reason is the time it takes to get to the hospital after the patient has been picked up from the site of the emergency. In metropolitan areas, the average distance from an emergency department, or ED, is 3.6 miles. In a non-metropolitan area, this distance increases to 5.1 miles.(Amy M. Brown, M.P.H.; Sandra L. Decker, Ph.D.; and Frederic W. Selck, Ph.D., 2015) Averaged, this distance is 4.35 miles. This distance should be easily covered in mere minutes, considering the average speed limit in the state of Pennsylvania is 70 mph.(Matt Schmitz, 2014) However, only 71% of ED visits in non-metropolitan areas occured at the nearest ED, and this number drops to 37% in metropolitan areas.(Amy M. Brown, M.P.H.; Sandra L. Decker, Ph.D.; and Frederic W. Selck, Ph.D., 2015) The number one leading cause for death in America is heart disease, and the survival rate for heart attacks significantly increases when emergency treatments are received quickly.(CDC, 2017) Those extra miles translate to more minutes spent waiting for hospital treatment, minutes that could potentially cost someone their life.
There is, however, a solution. The easiest way to reduce ambulance travel time and accidents would be to designate certain roads as “Ambulance Routes.” These routes would lead from hospitals and EDs to major residential areas. They would be lined with lights that, when an ambulance is en route and is going to use that road, would be turned on, much like railroad or drawbridge lights. These lights would warn drivers that an ambulance is heading to an emergency and that they should clear the road. These roads would be especially helpful in bad weather conditions, when the likelihood of crashes is increased. Not only could these lights be used for ambulances, but they could also be used for any emergency responder. This solution would solve the problem of ambulances not going to the nearest ED by encouraging ambulance drivers to keep to the Ambulance Routes, where they would have less traffic, that would lead directly to the nearest ED.
These Ambulance Routes would be constructed using the expertise of civil engineers, mechanical engineers, and urban planners. Mechanical engineering would be used for the maintenance, and possibly the construction, of the lights. Urban planners would decide where the lights would be necessary. Civil engineers would only be needed if it is decided that there isn’t an effective direct route from a large residential area to an ED. One of the major downsides to this solution is the cost. According to Walmart.com, good quality LED or strobe lights can cost anywhere from $50-$100. The cost would be well worth it in order to save lives, though. Space would not be a problem, as the lights could be affixed to existing telephone poles, lamp posts, and buildings. Another downside would be reckless drivers that ignore the lights and obstruct the ambulances’ path. The easiest solution for this problem would be to implement a fine for anyone who obstructs an emergency responder’s path. A fine would discourage anyone from keeping ambulances from reaching their destinations, as people would most likely rather keep their hard-earned wages that needlessly cause harm.
In conclusion, ambulances can be kept from saving lives by traffic jams, crashes, and unnecessary lengthening of ambulance travel times. Ambulances are incredibly important to the health and safety of citizens, so it is in everyone’s best interest to make sure that they can safely reach emergency situations. Therefore, Ambulance Routes and alarm lights should be implemented along roads that lead from hospitals to major residential areas. They are small and worth any extra costs that they pose to communities. For these reasons, they should be implemented, not only in my community, but in every community across the country.
References:
Grant, C., Merrifield, B. (2011) Analysis of Ambulance Crash Data Final Report. Retrieved from https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/News-and-Research/Resources/Research- Foundation/Research-Foundation-reports/For-emergency- responders/rfambulancecrash.ashx?la=en&hash=6B19FDFBB5162CD953A36D6E884120DB7D094C46
The Nation (2017, January 17) 20 per cent of emergency patient deaths blamed on traffic jam delays. Retrieved from http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30304268
Brown, A., Decker, S., Selck, F. (2015, March) Emergency Department Visits and Proximity to Patients’ Residences, 2009-2010. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db192.pdf
(2018) Walmart. Retrieved from https://www.walmart.com/c/ep/strobe-lights
CDC (n.d.) Heart Disease Facts. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm
CDC (n.d.) Know the Signs and Symptoms of a Heart Attack. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fs_heartattack.htm
Schmitz, M. (2014, August 21) Fastest, Slowest States: Where Your State Ranks. Retrieved from https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2014/08/21/fastest-slowest-states/14386951/