Objectives: This study sought to evaluate performance indicators to assist a static-based 9-1-1 agency in defining its response efficiency.
Methods: Initial assessment of three metrics-unit hour utilization (UHU), fractile response intervals, and level 0 frequency (occurrence when no ambulances are available to respond)-suggested the agency's response over its four coverage zones was inefficient, so an operational change was implemented: an ambulance was relocated from one service area to another to improve the overall response productivity. A 2-year retrospective analysis was performed to determine the impact ambulance relocation had on the three targeted measurements.
Results: The operational change resulted in a statistically significant change in unit hour utilization, a non-significant increase in fractile response intervals, and a statistically significant reduction in level 0 frequency from pre- to post-operational change times.
Conclusions: These findings suggest a way to evaluate the efficiency of static-based ambulance deployment and potentially identify strategies for redeployment.