An interesting situation arose tonight that's just kind of worth noting for the record: Mercy EMS ran out of ambulances.
When a girl fell from a scooter on Summit Street at about 10:45 p.m., just a block from UMMC, a dispatcher asked Batavia City Fire who should respond. The city asked for Oakfield.
Seconds later, a Mercy EMS ambulance noted they were in service (meaning free to take a call). The dispatcher asked city fire if Mercy EMS should respond. City fire responded that it was only a "BLS call" (basic life support).
Dispatch informed the Mercy EMS unit that Oakfield was responding. The unit, with a siren blaring in the background, informed dispatch it was only three minutes out. The dispatcher responded that the agency with jurisdiction had already requested Oakfield.
Oakfield's ambulance was on scene within minutes and had the patient quickly transported to UMMC.
I can't think of another time in which I've personally heard a volunteer ambulance service responding to a call in the city since Mercy took over ambulance service.
This was a good decision. If
This was a good decision.
If they had used the Mercy unit for this BLS call, Batavia would have no ALS unit available should a higher priority incident occur.
It has happened, before Mercy
It has happened, before Mercy took over,(Oakfield and Byron have been in) It's just one of those times where the rigs were tied up on other calls at the time of dispatch. I wasnt there and not sure what the injuries were,if it was coded BLS,it sounds like her injuries were not life threatening. If she skinned her knee,etc. maybe the parents or guardian could have taken her to the ER alot faster,(the ER does accept patients in personal vehicles ) :) Some day's it's slow,then one call can take all available ambulances. Let's not get excited, It's not the first time a different ambulance helped out in the city and it won't be the last. The people at all the agencies do a great job.