EMS-TIF Implementation Kitchener Fire Department Barrie Fire & Emergency Service

1. EMS-TIF ImplementationKitchener Fire DepartmentBarrie Fire & Emergency Service Prepared by: Beatrice Powell April 2012 Modified by: Sue Dawson September 2012

2. Introduction • Fire Involvement • Goals of EMS-TIF project • EMS-TIF & CADFusion interface- how it works • Preparation for EMS-TIF implementation • System preparation • Testing • Training • Implementation / Go Live • Considerations

3. Fire Service Involvement • Fire Services Advisory Group has members from Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office, Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs, Ontario Professional Fire Fire Association of Ontario and Fire Fighters Association of Ontario. • OAFC has lobbied for simultaneous notification / been part of project for some time • Fire participation was voluntary. Site selection principles and approved by Fire Services Advisory Group.

4. Goals • Shorten call handling time for both Ambulance & Fire • Share better information, faster • End result> faster overall emergency response to the public.

6. Preparing for EMS-TIF • Telus circuit installed at HQ • Allows secure communication between Ambulance / Ministry of Health / Fire • Will require IT and CAD Vendor involvement

7. Preparing for EMS-TIF • Review tiered response agreements for all Fire Departments dispatched for, to ensure they align with DPCI codes in use by Ambulance • Map DPCI codes / tiered agreements to CriSys incident types. • May need to change or create new incident types

8. Preparing for EMS-TIF Review data sharing documents provided by Ministry of Health > Data Mapping • MOH provides list of items they will send, either in initial data burst or as updates • Address information (incl. coordinates), location information, hazards, cautions, incident type, updates from scene, access codes, comments, etc. • Fire identifies ‘where’ in Fire CAD these items should go. • MOH provides ‘wish list’ of data items they would like from Fire • Call acknowledgement, whether Fire is responding, time Fire is on scene, updates from scene, Fire ETA, hazards, etc. • Fire identifies which elements they can provide and from where

9. Preparing for EMS-TIF Most data shared with Ambulance is based on: • Unit status- Fire Dispatched & On Scene • Benchmarks • Review all benchmarks and organize so they are easy to use. All medical benchmarks are in one menu. • Site details & Site hazards • Identified types automatically shared when call from ambulance is acknowledged • Identify types to share- for all departments dispatched for…everyone needs a full understanding of what data is being shared • Clean up content!

10. Preparing for EMS-TIF -Define Call Handling Process / GUI Requirements

11. Testing • Once interface configuration is complete, testing can begin. • Testing occurs, end to end, with Ministry of Health / CACC, over conference calls. • Numerous test cycles involving test scenarios at both ends. • Define test scenarios • Typical medical call handling scenarios • Known problematic situations • Fire can identify scenarios. Kitchener identified 28 • Review scenarios with CACC- they had good input! • Create test cases based on scenarios • Define inputs / outputs • Some scripting may be helpful to make sure testing captures all situations • Create a test log where you can document all issues and their follow up actions.

12. Test Scenarios- Samples • Standard medical call • Standard medical call with address & other updates • Medical call to no-match address • Medical call to highway location • Linking a medical call to an existing Fire incident, e.g. an MVC that Fire receives from Police before Ambulance • Etc.

13. Testing Methods • Numerous test cycles, end to end with Ministry of Health • Parallel production sessions- Simulation/shadowing of actual medical calls at both Fire & Ambulance • “Day in the life” sessions- scripted ‘typical’ day, performed end to end with staff from Fire & Ambulance

14. Training • Pre-read / self directed training materials for both Communications & Suppression. • Creation of videos showing a full range of medical call handling scenarios- based on test scenarios. • One-on-one training using videos, approximately one hour with opportunity for questions. • Some opportunity to participate in coordinated training with Ambulance staff. • Opportunities to ‘practice’ in Parallel Production Environment, ie. Shadowing actual calls at both ends.

15. Standard Medical Call

16. Implementation / Go Live – Kitchener Fire • CriSys will install to our Live system and turn on the listener to receive calls from CACC. • Support plan for EMS-TIF connection issues to be in place. • Contract dispatch customers and Kitchener Suppression crews have received information packages regarding what to expect when EMS-TIF is live. • All Communications staff are now trained. • Once Live, assessment of call handling & overall emergency response time savings to be performed.

17. Considerations • Address Data from Ambulance • Not currently in 911 PERS format • May get addresses that do not match, address ranges, etc. • May get coordinates only, but always with a description of location. E.g. location in a park • Will always get coordinates which locate the call correctly & enable you to start a response without needing a matched address.

18. Considerations • Trip Ticket Content • All notes, including those from Ambulance, which are on the call prior to dispatch, will appear on the trip ticket. There may be an increase in volume of information received. • No patient name is ever included, but condition and location are. This is sensitive and private information. • Consider policies and procedures around secure trip ticket disposal. • May need to accommodate extra information on trip tickets, i.e. decrease font size to make room on sheet.

19. Considerations • Content of data shared with Ambulance • Consider policies around what is entered into CAD. • If Site Details and Site Hazards are being shared, they should be maintained properly and have some input guidelines around them. • Consider expectation of confidentiality. • Time Sync’ing • Fire and Ambulance CAD times are not always in sync. • Consider pursuing solution to address this issue. • Has impact on statistics when mixing times from two systems.

20. Summary • Overall, an interesting and valuable experience which provided opportunities to streamline processes and improve information flow and content, in addition to achieving call handling time savings. • Implementation time has been significant, but as early adopters, this was anticipated. Any future adopters would not likely have to commit as much time. • Opportunity to significantly improve emergency response times and literally save more lives – this is worth the effort invested. This is a significant enhancement to customer service and community safety.

21. Questions?