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Courtesy Photo
This Sunrise Hospital ambulance by MedicWest Ambulance is dedicated to providing service to children needing a higher level of care.
Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012 | 2 a.m.
The traffic accident a month ago involving a pickup truck and a MedicWest ambulance trying to sneak through an intersection — the patient being transported died later at a hospital — sealed it for City Councilman Bob Beers.
Sealed what?
Beers, who won election to the council this year, said he had asked city staff to draft an ordinance allowing private ambulances working in the city to be equipped with devices that allow drivers to change traffic signals so they can get through intersections on green rather than red lights.
Wait. Private ambulances don’t have those devices, commonly known as Opticom, but the ambulances operated by firefighters do?
Yes. Years ago, Beers said, a decision was made to allow only taxpayer-funded ambulances to have the devices. The fear was that if all ambulances had them, it would cause traffic problems throughout the valley.
“But I think that has been proven over time not to be warranted,” Beers said.
What does Opticom do?
A product of Global Traffic Technologies, Opticom emits a light or infrared signal that changes a traffic light to green, giving the ambulance the right of way at an intersection.
Beers represents the city. What about Clark County government, which represents most of the rest of the county? Do county firefighters also have the traffic-signal changers?
They do. And the private ambulances do not. In an interview last week, Commissioner Steve Sisolak said he planned to ask county staff to draft a similar ordinance allowing private ambulances to be equipped with the devices.
“It’s just a good idea,” Sisolak said. “It will reduce response times and potentially save lives.”
Response times and the safety of firefighters versus private ambulances is becoming a big issue as firefighter unions across the country find themselves fighting harder to keep or earn wages and benefits in the face of the recession.
In fact, shortly after that accident, the head of North Las Vegas’ firefighters union trumpeted taxpayer-funded firefighter ambulances.
Jeff Hurley, North Las Vegas Firefighters Local 1607 president, said it appeared “injuries could have been avoided had the accident occurred in one of our … units.” In a widely released statement, he said budget cuts in North Las Vegas — which appears to have been hit hardest locally by the recession — meant that city's ambulances weren’t available to transport victims.
Two North Las Vegas firefighters who had been in the back of the private ambulance suffered injuries that weren't life-threatening in the accident, too.
Why does Hurley think a firefighter ambulance would do better — because it is equipped with Opticom traffic signal changers?
Well, he doesn’t say that. He says firefighter vehicles are “larger” and designed with “multiple harnesses to handle these types of emergencies.” He also says vehicle maintenance and driver training are controlled “to allow our paramedics to safely continue to treat emergency patients on the return to the hospital.”
What does that mean?
That they can drive safely and work on a patient on the way to the hospital.
Is there a difference in the cost to operate a private ambulance versus the cost to operate fire department ambulances?
Yes. Local private ambulances each operate at an annual cost of about $450,000, said a MedicWest spokesperson. Each Clark County Fire Department ambulance, by comparison, operates at a cost of about $1 million annually.
* * *
Last week's story about the county’s animal control officers prompted reader inquiries about the blind Chihuahua picked up after its elderly owner had died. Two men said they would gladly take care of the animal.
Did one of them get the Chihuahua?
Unfortunately, by the time the story ran the Chihuahua died.
You mean it was euthanized, which is what happens to animals if they are not picked up after a certain period of time?
Yes. A spokesman said the animal was quite ill.
Are other Chihuahuas available for adoption/rescue?
Many. Early last week, Lied Animal Shelter reported it had 66 short-haired Chihuahuas and Chihuahua mixes available for adoption. Go to animalfoundation.com to learn more.
***
A spokeswoman for the The Amazing Johnathan’s Screamont Experiment, a haunted attraction in the Las Vegas Club downtown, says the date of opening and hours printed in the City Council agenda are different than when it will actually be open and operating.
So what are the hours?
It opened to the general public Friday, and the hours will be from 7 p.m. to midnight, not 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. The 35,000-square-foot haunt is temporary; it runs through Halloween, Oct. 31.
"Yes. Years ago, Beers said, a decision was made to allow only taxpayer-funded ambulances to have the devices. The fear was that if all ambulances had them, it would cause traffic problems throughout the valley."
Joe, come on, tell the whole story. After the accident I talked with a friend who attended this meeting where the decision was made. He said the reason it was decided this way was because every organization in the room wanted them. Not only the private ambulances, but the public transportation companies also. After a long battle, at that time, it would be the FD and PD.
The other issue is, it's not the ability to change the light, but arriving to the destination safely! I have seen FD and PD vehicle arrive at the intersection, after changing the light, and still have too stop because all the lanes of traffic are not clear. My understanding of the law is, using lights and siren they are "asking for the right-of-way" and not demanding it. All comes down to DRIVERS TRAINING, period.
I do not agree with Mr. Hurley, that the FD vehicle would, or could have made the difference in the injuries occurred in the accident. However, I understand the questioning of drivers training and maintenance records. He has the ability to review the FD records, but didn't not have the records of the private ambulance company's. I am sure during a safety investigation those records would be presented, but the FD should have copies of those records. Reason is, the FD is responsible for the health and safety of their employees. Putting them in the ambulance, without knowing the training and maintenance records, may cause an unsafe condition. This is just may opinion!
If we ended public ambulances and relied totally on private services the savings would be in the MILLIONS
"Years ago, Beers said, a decision was made to allow only taxpayer-funded ambulances to have the devices. The fear was that if all ambulances had them, it would cause traffic problems throughout the valley.
"But I think that has been proven over time not to be warranted," Beers said."
how can beers make that determination unless all ambulances are given the devices and further research shows that they do not, in fact, cause more traffic problems?
the argument for the initial law was that having too many ambulances with the opticom device would cause traffic problems and beers's defense seems to be that because there has not been an increase in traffic problems with only tax payer funded opticom ambulances it must be true that giving every ambulance an opticom won't cause traffic problems either.
i don't have an opinion on this issue either way because there is not enough information available to me but beers's positions strikes me as a fairly obvious logical fallacy.
Other than Speed of Arrival (Due to the Devices) I see Nothing about the Quality of Care once an Ambulance arrives. How about some enterprising Newspaper do a story on that.
If Medic West is as Good as the Fire Fighters why do we need a duplication of service at double the cost with expensive Firefighters. As a Consumer that has to Pay Cash out of Pocket ( you do with Insurance also) It's a No Brainer for me which service I want.
"Yes. Local private ambulances each operate at an annual cost of about $450,000, said a MedicWest spokesperson. Each Clark County Fire Department ambulance, by comparison, operates at a cost of about $1 million annually."
Tuff to buy this one, your comparing apples to oranges again. Two different vehicles along with all the equipment carried is different on each. Two different types of staffing patterns. Everything being the same, maybe it makes a difference, but it's not Joe!
These, or similar, devices were used in TX when I lived there.
It was great! All traffic stopped.
Firetrucks, and police used them too.
So the FD gets to cheat when it comes down to response times. That's how I read it.
So, the traffic engineers set up a system that they know is flawed and then another company comes in to create a device to control these ill-timed lights. Seems like the issue could further be addressed by fixing these lights.
How is it that a private ambulance can be operated at 550K less than a publicly operated one? Who's getting stuck with that bill?
I think all services in the industry of transporting injured persons to a hospital should have equal access to traffic systems! If it was your life how would you feel?
That being said.. this city has the worst traffic system in the US of A!! THE ENTIRE TRAFFIC DIVISION SHOULD BE FIRED FOR INCOMPETENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!
This city is built on a grid with a few exceptions... East west roads.. north south roads.. Why do I get stopped at every block?????? Every single intersection??? I want an explanation!!!! You complain about the pollution levels and meeting federal standards.. yet you leave 1 million cars idling with the A/C on every block?? Did you flunk Math? Statistics?? Is this the only city that you could get a job at? I work with computers and I can set the lights so that they run green all the way east and also north south if you follow the speed limit! This is first year computer science at UNLV!! Yet our city cant seem to get this!
We can reduce fuel consumption, pollution, road rage, and commute times by programming the lights to keep traffic moving rather than stopping it! Just ask LA about this!!!
SO the question is do we fire the whole traffic division and start over or give them the chance to show they passed high school algebra??? I vote to fire them all .. because if they haven't figured it out and I have.. they are too stupid to be employed by the tax payers that drive the roads!!
Its your vote!!
BTW there will be an editorial on this subject in the near future!
"How is it that a private ambulance can be operated at 550K less than a publicly operated one? Who's getting stuck with that bill?"
I would assume because the public ones go on other emergencies besides medical. I have seen them on fires and other non-medical emergencies. I have seen at traffic accidents the FD people taking a trapped person out of the vehicle while the ambulance people wait. Then the ambulance takes the person to the hospital. In my opinion they do more with their vehicles and personnel.
I guess the big question is , what does the annual cost of each of the vehicle have to do with the article? (allow drivers to change traffic signals ). In my opinion the writer drifted, as he tends to do, into something that has nothing to do with the subject matter.
If the fire department no longer made ambulance calls they would eat till they got sleepy and sleep till they got hungry.