Comment Re: So.. drive them somewhere? (Score 1) 55
The simple rules for EMS are that if they have to drive dangerously or race to the victim, then they are dead already.
Yes the prompt treatment will help, and in a few cases those extra minutes are crucial, but typically the difference is minor.
Location matters. In the article the cities are Los Angeles and Austin. A drive to the nearest EMS facility, ambulance station, fire station, hospital, or similar is likely under three minutes, at least one will be nearby, as fire stations particularly are placed based on short travel times. Also in the article, these are people who they are trying to wake for a long time, in the opening story "nearly an hour".
Driving to any of a variety of EMS locations would be straightforward and faster than the nearly hour long wait for the story.
There are plenty of other rural areas where the nearest EMS facilities really are an hour away, but that's not where robotaxis are getting deployed. When that does eventually happen, it will be best to coordinate with an ambulance and have the vehicle drive towards the ambulance, meeting somewhere in the middle which still would save time for the potential patients, or more likely, the passed out drunks, but it is still a faster option for getting them to a qualified human.