Updated 02/10/2011 04:17 PM
Ambulance GPS Systems Don't Provide Directions
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City ambulances, which have been equipped with GPS systems since 2005, cannot provide turn-by-turn directions.
According to the New York City Fire Department, the systems are only designed to help dispatchers keep track of the rigs.
Instead, EMS workers use paper maps if they need to figure out their route.
The New York City Fire Department says the $10,000 GPS devices have helped shave 26 seconds off response times by helping dispatchers figure out which ambulance is closest to an emergency.
FDNY sources tell the New York Daily News that since paramedics are often very familiar with their neighborhoods, so navigational GPS is not seen as crucial.
The News says there are no immediate plans to overhaul the system.