Where to start...Two EMS operators so far:
1) Training needs to be a stronger influence in corporate, more line oriented, and, well "more," lots more- training. Example of an issue- I've never done a ride at night, in initial training or recurrent. Both parts of the training do an IFR slash IIMC, I'm at a VFR program. As far as I know, everybody- IFR & VFR, traditional and community based- do nights, and that's when a vast majority of the accidents occur.
2) Night vision goggles for any program that does night scenes, and better yet anybody operating nights. This isn't airport to airport, I'll go when I want to stuff. It's much more akin to the military- pilot goes or not, and deals with the situation with what skills are brought...
3) Autopilots.
4) Quality control. The med side has a QCI built-in. Pilots operate in a vacuum, with rudimentary guidance. To do the job well requires a constant learning process, and that requires feedback. Some of us do this somewhat on our own, many do not. Any accident starts with a single event, without feedback, the event trends to bad practice- bad habits are reenforced.
5) We need to be more scientific in human scheduling. Circadien rhythms disorders, sleep disruption, and the loss of efficiency resulting, are well documented scientific facts.
We do the hardest part of our job, with minimal equipment and training, when we're at our intellectual worst- nights.
Last edited by Devil 49; 8th March 2005 at 14:13.