Motor vehicle crashes involving ambulances pose a serious risk to both crew and patients. Fire Protection Research Foundation, a research affiliate of NFPA, recently released a report, “Analysis of Ambulance Crash Data.” It focuses on the collection of ambulance crash data, including fatalities and injuries, from all 50 states.
According to the report, data documented on a state or local level typically include the number of crashes, cause and contributing factors, and injuries or fatalities of personnel and civilians. The final report takes into account ambulance reportable crashes that cause vehicular property damage and/or injury to either the EMS crew or others, and includes recommendations for developing a more comprehensive data collection system that can be used to improve safety for EMS providers and their patients.
NFPA has many documents that touch on emergency management issues including NFPA 450, Guide for Emergency Medical Services and Systems; NFPA 1061, Standard for Professional Qualifications for Public Safety Telecommunicator; NFPA 1710, Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments.
A Blog From the American Society of Safety Engineers