From natural disasters to crisis situations, your EMS personnel face serious and big risks during operations. However, sometimes it's the smaller, more-frequent and less-villainized hazards that lead to incidents with big costs—like your ambulance striking a parked vehicle, tree, pole or equipment laying on the ground.
While these fixed object strikes typically occur at a low speed and result in minimal damage, the significance of the events and the importance of investigating them cannot be overemphasized. For example, what went wrong? How likely is this to happen again? Are there bigger issues at play?
If your investigation leads you to suspect that a bigger issue is indeed at play, like a lack of ongoing training, it's crucial to act. Vehicles are not only one of your most important assets, but also one of your largest potential liabilities. In fact, the National Safety Council reports that 198 people died in crashes involving emergency vehicles in 2021 alone. Given the risk to your members, organization and community, selecting, training and maintaining safe drivers shouldn't be left to chance.
We believe that insurance is more than a piece of paper. It’s a promise to be there in the moments that matter, advocate for those who make our communities stronger and support all emergency responders while they do incredible things. If you're interested in how partnering with VFIS or Glatfelter Commercial Ambulance could make a difference for your EMS agency—please have your local insurance agent reach out!