Here's A Surprising Fact About EMTs and GPS

The Global Positioning System (GPS) has become such a ubiquitous instrument to motorists that we now rarely stop our cars to ask people on the streets for directions. The technology of GNSS-INS simulation and satellite navigation has made it possible for us to find the easiest route from point A to point B.

Families use GPS to find the fastest route to the Grand Canyon from their hometown. Office employees use GPS to find the route to their company with the least traffic. So, it's fairly obvious that people in the emergency service industry would also use GPS to get to an accident as quickly as possible, right?

Wrong. The reality is that emergency medical technicians(EMTs) use GPS tracking only so that their dispatchers know their location at all times. But, they don't use satellite navigation to find their way to people in need of medical assistance. But, why wouldn't EMTs use GPS?

Minimizing Distractions

Yes, it would be logical for EMTs to use GPS to find the fastest route to an injured person. But, according to EMTs, they're more concerned with minimizing distractions so that they can get to their patient in one piece.

It's the same logic with the fact that EMTs don't run towards an injured individual once they arrive at the location of the accident. Their reason behind this is that it's important that they are in peak condition when they get to the patient so that they're 100% capable of treating the person.

If they try to run towards an injured person and the location where the accident happened is still unstable or dangerous, they could hurt themselves in the process. If an EMT is hurt, then that's one less person who can help the injured party and one more person adding to the list of individuals in need of medical assistance.

When it comes to driving towards an injured party, most EMTs don't use their phones. What they do is they check their road maps to find the shortest and possibly the fastest route to their destination.

Also, they're under the impression that when they do encounter traffic, the other motorists are required by law to let them pass. So, they're not as concerned about traffic as ordinary citizens trying to find the fastest route to the theater.

A Different Way Of Using GPS

But, that's not to say that EMT units don't use GPS technology at all. In fact, they do use it, but not the ones in the ambulance. It is the dispatcher's job to find the fastest route for EMTs, which is why they're always communicating with each other.

Dispatchers track EMTs in real-time and when someone calls 911, they can see right away who's closest to the accident. The dispatcher then radios the EMT unit to let them know where the accident is located. And then, the dispatcher uses GPS technology to find the fastest route for the mobile EMT unit.

So, that's how EMTs and GPS work together to help injured people get medical assistance in the most effective manner.