Ambulance Dispatch System

1. Ambulance Dispatch System Design Document

2. Goals • Meet national standard • Dispatch within 3 minutes of call • Arrive within 11 minutes • Total of 14 minutes response time • Constraint • Cost • Ready by Q1 2007

3. Current system • A paper-based system is currently in place • Difficult to organize • Inefficient • One incident may have multiple ambulances accidentally dispatched to it

4. Proposed System • Operators submit incidents through a computer interface • Dispatchers handle incidents and dispatch ambulances • Dispatcher interface shows map of incidents and ambulances • Ambulances tracked through GPS

5. Reliability • Lives hang in the balance • Avoid a catastrophe like the London Ambulance Service • To achieve reliability • Solid, simple implementation • Backup paper system in the event of system failure

6. Backup paper system • Each incident is printed upon being submitted so that a physical backup exists • Also serves as paperwork for incidents • Similar to old system: little training required

7. Phase 1 • Electronic Form Database • Operator interface • Dispatch interface • Manual ambulance dispatch status

8. Phase 2 • Install Ambulance GPS System • Best route algorithm • Duplicate form check • Incident printouts • Roads changeable (for traffic, construction)

9. System Overview

10. Databases • Form database stores current and past incidents • Ambulance database keeps updated information of ambulance GPS locations and status • Map data will be acquired from NAVTEQ, processed into regions, and saved as files on the server

11. Operator Interface • Allows Operator to add, edit, and search for forms • Submitting to database will call a checkDuplicate() function • Prompts operator to edit, replace, or keep existing form • Tabbed interface to switch between multiple forms

12. New form 3 car pileup Person fainted File Edit Window Help -  x • 2:15 - 3 car pileup, Route 44 and Freemont • 2:03 – heart attack, 1301 Lily Ln • 1:30 – person fainted, 900 Pearson Dr. Operator Interface Mockup x Brief description Address Caller name Contact number Full Description New Edit Submit Search

13. New form 3 car pileup Person fainted File Edit Window Help -  x • 2:15 - 3 car pileup, Route 44 and Freemont • 2:03 – heart attack, 1301 Lily Ln • 1:30 – person fainted, 900 Pearson Dr. Operator Interface Mockup x Brief description Address 3 car pileup Route 44 and Freemont Caller name Contact number Thomas Peterson 555-555-0921 Full Description Front two cars were rear-ended at high speed and spun out of control. One person is unconcious and two others may have neck injuries. New Edit Submit Search

14. Operator Interface UML

15. Functions of Operator Interface checkDuplicateForm() • Checks each new form against database • Looks for similar caller or close address

16. Advantages • Reduce labor costs normally required to keep paper system organized • Automatically prioritizes incidents to meet three minute national standard for dispatch time • Detects potential duplicate forms

17. Dispatcher Interface • Allows dispatcher to see region. • System recommends best ambulances for an incident and displays route. • Dispatcher can remove incidents once resolved. • Dispatcher can change map to reflect traffic and construction.

18. Dispatcher Interface UML

19. Region 2 3 car pileup Person fainted File Edit Window Help -  x • 2:15 - 3 car pileup, Route 44 and Freemont • 2:03 – heart attack, 1301 Lily Ln • 1:30 – person fainted, 900 Pearson Dr. Dispatcher Interface Mockup 1 H Amb. 904 Dispatched to incident 1 2 H Search

20. Functions Dispatcher Interface • Roads and Junctions • Load a region map • Make road passable or impassable for checkBestAmbulance function • checkBestAmbulance() • Picks recommends best ambulance, displays route • Uses Dijkrstra’s Shortest Path Algorithm • Dispatcher makes final decision

21. Advantages • Dispatcher interface • Automatically maps incidents and shows ambulance locations • Recommends ambulance and provides route information • Dispatcher has final say in which ambulance to dispatch • Will provide information necessary to meet eleven minute national standard for travel time

22. Conclusion • Three Part System: • Database • Operators • Dispatchers • Reliability in Data Handling and System Function • Easy-to-navigate interface Much more efficient than old model