Taipei City Fire Department

The Taipei City Fire Department's proposal "5G Transmission-Immediate Rescue" has been awarded the "Outstanding" prize in the city government's 2023 Creative Proposal Competition, making it the first fire department in Taiwan to utilize 5G remote transmission technology for pre-hospital emergency medical service.

From October 2023, the Taipei City Fire Department has collaborated with the National Taiwan University Hospital and Far EasTone Telecommunications. Emergency Medical Technician Paramedics (EMTP) from the Jianguo Advanced Ambulance Squad and EMT2 personnel from the Zhonglun Station have been using 5G online video guidance while transporting critical cases to hospitals. Additionally, since April 2023, they have partnered with the Penghu County Fire Department to establish cross-island remote medical guidance for critical patients before the patients arrive at the hospital. This enhances the nationwide emergency medical response capabilities.

From October 26, 2023, to August 31, 2023, a total of 445 cases have been executed under this project, with a critical case activation rate of 97.70% and a successful supervision initiation rate of 87.93% for 5G online video guidance. Among the successfully initiated cases, the symptoms of patients are dominated by altered consciousness/fainting, difficulty breathing, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), heart-related issues, and acute strokes.

On May 4th of this year, a man in his 60s dialed 119 due to chest pain. While en route to the hospital, a seamless collaboration between the Taipei City Jianguo Branch and the Baisha Branch in Penghu County was initiated. Through the activation of remote video guidance, they reinforced physical examinations, assessed the patient's medical history, and adjusted oxygen therapy in the ambulance. The Penghu County paramedics actively followed the guidance provided. In the end, through the relentless efforts of all the paramedics and the Penghu Hospital under the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the blood vessels were successfully cleared within 34 minutes, saving the life of the patient.

The Fire Department said that through 5G transmission technology, paramedics who are unable to arrive at the scene immediately can assist in identifying the condition of critically ill or injured patients and provide instant recommendations to on-site EMT2 personnel, improving the quality, depth, and scope of Advanced Life Support (ALS) services. They plan to continue their efforts in using innovative technology to seize every crucial second for immediate rescue, establishing the first line of defense to safeguard the citizens and create a vibrant, livable, and healthy city.