IPMBA News

LAX EMS ENHANCEMENT PILOT PROGRAM

By Ralph M. Terrazas, Fire Chief, Los Angeles Fire Department, October 11, 2017

On October 11, 2017, a news conference was held to introduce the LAX EMS Enhancement Program.

Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) and the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) have begun a six-month trial to address the unique needs of LAX when it comes to taking care of sick or injured citizens.  The LAX EMS Enhancement Pilot Program is yet another significant step the LAFD has taken to improve our EMS delivery.  This pilot program allows the LAFD to provide additional quick-response Firefighter/Paramedics at LAX to serve the traveling public as well as the thousands of people who work at the airport.
 
The pilot program consists of two advanced life support (ALS) Cycle Teams (CT 51 & CT 251) supported by an Advanced Provider Response Unit (Medcart 51) staffed with a Nurse Practitioner and a FF/PM, all located in the LAX terminals.
 
The Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), which is the fourth busiest in the world and second busiest airport in the United States, has seen an increase in the amount of passengers for three straight years; correspondingly, the LAFD has also seen an increase in Emergency Medical Service (EMS) responses to the airport.  In 2016, LAX served over 80 million passengers, which resulted in heavy call loads for Battalion 4 companies.
 
Data shows that the majority of EMS incidents at LAX do not result in ambulance transports to the hospital.  Therefore, the current model of routinely sending Fire Companies and Rescue Ambulances to these incidents is not an efficient service model.  The addition of cycle teams will allow members to arrive on-scene quickly, assess the patient and request the proper resources if needed. LAFD resources that normally respond to these incidents will be able to remain available to handle other incidents.
 
This is a pilot program with clear metrics to evaluate its success.  At the end of the pilot program, these metrics will be evaluated in order to assess if it should be continued and if so, should the work hours be expanded.
 
The goals of this pilot program are the following:

  • Improve the level of EMS service at LAX.
  • Decrease response times to EMS incidents at LAX.
  • Decrease the transport rate of patients from LAX.
  • Decrease the number of responses to LAX by LAFD resources.
  • Increase the availability of LAFD resources.
  • Decrease the “wall time” for LAFD ambulances.

The ALS cycle teams will consist of two operational shifts Tuesday through Friday, from 0600-0100 hours.  The Advanced Provider Response Unit (Med Cart 51) will be operational Monday through Thursday, from 0500 to 1500 hours.
 
We are excited to partner with LAWA to bring the Advanced Practitioner Response Unit and the two cycle teams as additional resources here at the airport and to handle all manner of EMS calls, from low acuity issues to critical medical emergencies.
 
These proactive measures are expected to have a positive impact on Battalion 4 and surrounding resources.  In doing so, we continue to improve the delivery of EMS by researching alternative models of pre-hospital care and delivery, establish solutions to address lengthy hospital wait times, and expand Department EMS response capabilities as laid out in the Strategic Plan.  Through these actions, the LAFD will continue to be a leader in delivering exceptional Emergency Service to the people of Los Angeles.
 
Any questions regarding this pilot program should be directed to the EMS Bureau at (213) 978-3752.

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