TRAA’s field operation is the most visible component of the EMS system. Every ambulance used in our field operation is certified at the advanced life support/paramedic level and is staffed with a minimum of one paramedic. The paramedic certification is the highest level of care currently provided in the State of Indiana.
Our field staff is part of a high performance system with some of the most stringent requirements in the nation. The operations division is required to place a paramedic certified ambulance on the scene of all potentially life-threatening emergencies within eight minutes and thirty seconds a minimum of 90% of the time or face significant fines and the possibility of losing the contract with TRAA.
TRAA ambulances respond to nearly 30,000 requests and transport approximately 24,000 patients each year. Of the total patients transported,70% are for emergency conditions and 30% are non-emergency transports.
TRAA’s staff is required to undergo extensive continuing education to qualify for both State and local certification. In addition to normal State continuing education requirements, TRAA staff is required to attend a minimum of 4 hours of continuing education every other month. This assures that staff remains current on life saving skills and the newest innovations in pre-hospital health care.
The care provided by TRAA staff is constantly monitored by both internal and external quality assurance procedures. The system medical director performs complete medical audits whenever there is any question involving patient care.
Sudden onset cardiac arrest accounts for some of the highest death rates encountered in the out-of-hospital setting. The American Heart Association estimates that the average survival rate of these patients is 10%. The TRAA system has consistently exceeded these survival rates and has exceeded 30% survival for the past 5 years. We believe that we can achieve even better results if more people get trained in CPR.
The educational staff at Three Rivers Ambulance Authority is made up of 3 full time educators, each of which have extensive field experience. They are responsible for meeting all of the educational needs of the work force by providing all of the hours of education mandated by the Indiana Department of Homeland Security and the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.
It is the mission of our educational department to field the highest trained personnel possible for the citizens of Fort Wayne.
Continuing Education is held year round in a bi-monthly format and each employee receives 56 hours of annual education. The employees are paid to attend continuing education sessions.
Basic Trauma Life Support (BTLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Education for Pre-Hospital Providers (PEPP) training is also provided by TRAA with all fees associated with those certifications paid for the employee. Starting in 2011 Advanced Medical Life Support (AMLS) will be added to the list of certifications provided to each paramedic as well.
Education at TRAA is always a live event that not only meets the individual employee’s educational requirements but also stays on the cutting edge of pre-hospital care.
Recently incorporated in our education was the transition from CPR to CCR (cardio cerebral resuscitation). This cutting edge program changes the way we care for our patient in cardiac arrest and had been shown to significantly increase survival rates of patients suffering from sudden onset cardiac arrest.
TRAA believes that the field providers employed here are truly the first step in seeing patients through from the time that they activate the 911 system to the time you are discharged from the hospital, not merely concentrating on the time that a patient is in our care.
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