As urban development extends and populations grow, there's a rising need for emergency medical services. Over the past two years, Taichung City has seen more than 160,000 emergency cases. The Fire Bureau of the Taichung City Government noted that although the Bureau is continuously committed to improving the quality and success rate of emergency medical services, the immense volume of emergency medical cases brings challenges to the existing emergency medical system and skills. To improve the quality and success rates of emergency care, the Bureau’s firefighters, along with medical experts and volunteer rescue teams, recently visited Seattle, USA, hoping to learn from their effective practices for future policy enhancements.
The Fire Bureau elaborated that between March 11 and 15, they conducted successive visits to various institutions in Seattle, including the Virginia Mason Medical Center, Shoreline Fire Department, Seattle Fire Department's headquarters, ambulance teams, dispatch centers, King County’s emergency medical service centers, Valley Communications Center, Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One, and the ambulance company American Medical Response (AMR). Additionally, on the 12, they met with representatives from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Seattle to gain a deeper insight into the American emergency medical system. Seattle's renowned high success rates in emergency response serve as a valuable model and inspiration for Taichung's emergency services. The lessons learned from this visit will be pivotal in shaping the city government's future planning and policy-making.
The Fire Department also noted that Deputy Battalion Chief Commander Tsai Shih-fang and colleagues visited the Seattle Fire Department's headquarters, where they met Chief Harold Scoggins. They were briefed by Squad Leader Patrick Hubschman, Health One Managers Jon Ehrenfeld, and Julie Coffin on the department's procedures regarding non-emergency social assistance cases, pre-hospital emergency medical service charging system, and response strategies.
The Fire Bureau expressed confidence that this visit will yield valuable benefits, broadening their perspective on future emergency medical services. They anticipate improvements in the pre-hospital emergency medical system, as well as enhancements in professional capabilities and operational efficiency. Ultimately, they aim to deliver safer and more dependable emergency medical services to the residents of Taichung, thus elevating the city's overall emergency response capabilities.