Ambulance

In our region the Ambulance Service uses the GRN, They use MDT(mobile Data TerminalS) to receive jobs which in December 2016 were converted from PMR to 4G systems, the frequencies for GRN can be found elsewhere on this site. The service has also uses CAD (computer aided dispatch) as a means of more effectiveness in dispatching calls, patient data and returning status updates.

<DEC 2007>NB

There is a smartbridge in place enabling the PMR & GRN to be linked, so you can hear the SAME audio on both GRN & PMR simultaneously

<END>

GRN ids

20301 Newcastle/Lower Hunter Area Ambulance Comms

20302 Hunter Area Ambulance Comms

20303 Central Coast Area Comms

132.750 Air Ambulance

484.950 Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service

Codes

01 Urgent message / clear the air

1 ambulance officer requires assistance

2 cardiac arrest

3 doctor required at hospital casualty

4 deceased

5 arrived at hospital, DOA for certification

6 departing hospital for morgue

7 arriving at morgue

8 prefix for terminal cases

9 rescue unit required

10 fire brigade required

11 live wires down, require electricity authority

12 poisonous gas present

13 danger of explosion

14 ambulance involved in a collision

15 patient or ambulance officer injured

16 tow truck required

17 overdose

18 airport alert

19 disaster

20 officers meal break

21 paramedic required

22 morphine administered

23 infectious decease

24 approach with caution, await police arrival

25 suspicious death, advise police

26 Sexual Assault

31 suicide or attempted suicide

MVA Motor Vehicle Accident

PTO Patient Transport Officer

MRU Medical Retrieval Unit

CVA Cerebro Vascular Accident (stroke)

Type A HIV positive

SOB Shortness Of Breath

AAA Abdominal Aortic Aneurism

Over the past few weeks I have been hearing "R" codes over the Ambulance Network. The R codes are response codes, they were introduced with the mdt's. When a job drops down the response code is at the top. They have changed some what over the past 2 years but basicly they indicate the amount of time that is allowed to elapse between a call being received and it being tasked to an ambulance or PTO crew.

R1 is an instant tasking with an urgent response (i.e. lights and siren)

R2 is an instant tasking with an immediate response (i.e. not lights and siren)

R3 means the job must be tasked withing 1/2 hour

R4 means the job must be tasked within 1 to 2 hours (normally within the hour)

R6 used for routine transports of renal dialysis patients - routine calls

R7 is used for air ambulance bookings and sporting/bushfire standbys

I am an emergency nurse currently working in NSW and am a qualified Triage instructor, as well as trauma instructor.

The triage scale is as Follows.

Cat 1 seen immediately this cat. Is kept for cardiac and respiratory arrest.

Cat 2 seen within 10 minutes This is the urgent cat kept for traumas, and chest pains, and anyone having difficulties with ABCD

Cat 3 seen within 30 minutes This is semi Urgent and is reserved for people with pain, or abnormal vital signs

Cat 4 Seen within 1 hour This is Non Urgent and usually involves, fevers, headaches, rashes.

Cat 5 Seen within 1-2 hours this is Basic care required. This is reserved for patients that could have gone to a local doctor, small lacerations, dressing changes etc.

As for the Colours. In NSW ONLY for Disasters we use the following

Red Life threathening

Orange- Semi Urgent

Green- Walking wounded

White Deceased

Other states also use a blue tag which indicates that a patient is not quite dead but will die soon, and resuscitation attempts on this patient would be futile.

The Hospital Systems are now also using colour codes to inform the ambulance service how busy they are.

Status RED Means Life threathening only no BEDS in ED

Status Orange inidicates full emergency department limited beds available consider going elsewhere

Status Green Working to full capacity beds not limited.(RARE THESE DAYS)

I hope this is of some benefit as the information currently kept on your web page is incorrect..

Sally Cachia

Nursing Unit Manager

Blacktown/ Mt Druitt

Emergency

TNCC Instructor, ENPC, CATN Accredited, CBR Accredited, Triage Instructor, Disaster Instructor,

Bachelor of Nursing, Graduate Certificate in Emergency Nursing

Click here for further NSW AS Info on wikipedia