Urban Sprawl and Delayed Emergency Services Arrival

In medicine, the golden hour refers to the first 60 minutes immediately following traumatic injury. It is during this golden hour that medical treatment to prevent irreversible damage and optimize the chance of survival is most effective. To increase the portion of the golden hour injured persons spend at the hospital, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel and equipment must arrive at the injury scene as quickly as possible. Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham University Transportation Center (UAB UTC) are working to cut EMS response times in urban sprawl areas, where the Center learned response times are often double those found elsewhere.

Urban sprawl is an increasingly common development pattern in the United States, characterized by low-density construction, poor street connectivity, and single-use zoning (i.e., separation of residential and commercial areas).