Our management in Melbourne Australia is using a piece of software called "SIREN LIVE". Same sort of thing. It's made by a New Zealand company formed by Students and lecturers from one of the Kiwi unis. It is supposed to be able to "predict" where jobs will come in next based on "historical data". Isn't that like trying to predict where the next mortar round will land? One EMS forum from the US had a physician/ex ambo who looked into it and was told by some other uni Statitistics professors that you would need between 40 and 100 years of accuarate data to come even close. Coincidentally thats the same amount of data needed to predict - you guessed it - the weather. And we all know how accurate that is. The whole thing is a sham - clever commercial opportunism. Oh look at all the pretty flashing lights. Our system has been going for a while now and sucks. Just about every time we have been SIRENED away from our branch a case has come in just around the corner. But be afraid readers because the time is coming when you won't be having that cup of tea at your station - you will be sitting on the corner at three o'clcok in the morning outside the local burger king. Its already happeneing in the US and Canada. Why is it when things are going pear shaped our bosses turn to a mute, dumb, blind virtual friend like a program instead of asking the experst who do the real work every day - that's you campers. It's all frogshit. The politicians want numbers for the next election and the bosses want to keep their bonuses by "meeting KPI's" - key perfomance indicators ditto response times which are bullshit anyway. How many more experts have got to say curb time is innacurate - the vertical response time is what counts ie when you actually get to the patients' bedside? It's all coming unstuck people no matter whether you are in London, New York, Toronto, Copenhagen or Melbourne. Ambulance services are too scared to say no to patients - risk averse AMPDS systems - frogshit. law suit averse more like. How about this - Reduce the calls by educating the public about the system, when ansd how to use it wisely and tell them that you will say no to an ambulance request if your call is bullshit. In the meantime you workers will be wearing the workload and treated as expendable commodities. And if you don't like it stiff shit - leave and we will repalce you with a 20yo uni graduate with no life experience, no job experience, no communication skills and entirely maleable to do the bosses biddings - no sticking up for your rights/ OH&S/conditions/breaks - just work. When they get tired of it, which is usually about 5-7 years in the job for most, the 20 somethings will move on. Thats what they do and thank you very much - no sick leave, no long service leave, minimal superannuation payouts, no industrial strife etc. I can't see in my room because its full of the steam coming out my ears. AMbos everywhere are going through the same thing I can promise you and managements have now turned away form "human resources" and are looking for the fixes only a computer screen or a statistical avergae can produce. There's not much room left for real world any more. Clincial care is/will be described by a digit on a computer screen and quoted by a politician.