Last week Body & Soul reported on an increase in violence against emergency medical technicians (EMTs) by the public.Often this violence is triggered by anger at the response time of the ambulance to the scene.EMTs and the Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) were unable to provide an average response time however the BHB has commissioned a study of the Emergency Medical System.According to a hospital spokeswoman the BHB “is moving toward reforms, with assistance from Government, the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service and the Bermuda Police Service”.“There are a variety of factors that determine how long it will take an ambulance to arrive at the scene, including the urgency of the situation, the distance needed to travel, the number of calls being handled at any given time and the condition of traffic. In addition, there are places which are inaccessible to ambulances and require walking equipment to the site.“Calls to the East and West ends generally take about 15 to 20 minutes. However, there are Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service first response teams in the East and West end that initially respond to calls for assistance at these locations.“KEMH ambulances must still respond to all calls, as the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service does not transport patients to the hospital.”