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Real-time video made available to NYRA chase ambulances As part of continued efforts to enhance the safety and welfare of jockeys and horses, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) will now broadcast live, head-on video of all NYRA races directly into the chase ambulance that follows the horses around the track during each race. This real-time video feed, shown on a monitor mounted to the passenger-side dashboard, is intended to give the emergency medical technicians in the ambulance an unobstructed view of the events on track throughout a race and better inform them about the exact nature of an accident. "When an accident happens, every second counts," said Dave Smukler, senior vice president of human resources and labor relations for NYRA. "We want our EMTs in the field to have every possible edge to decrease emergency response time and see the full set of circumstances in an accident to help them determine the nature of any potential injuries and provide the best treatment as rapidly as possible." The chase ambulance drives a safe distance behind the running horses on the main track, but cannot always see the field, particularly going around turns, during turf races when the ambulance must travel over the dirt course, or when speed is reduced during inclement weather. Such circumstances can create blind spots in the EMTs' view of the race that the live, head-on feed considerably reduces. "One of the first things our in-house doctors do after a spill, before the injured riders come in, is to go to the replay to determine the exact mechanism of a possible injury to a jockey -- that is, what part of the body first suffered trauma and whether there could be any distracting injuries that might conceal something more serious," said Joan Romagnoli, R.N., the NYRA nurse manager for Comprehensive Health Services Inc. "Having the live replay in the chase ambulance gives our first responders that critical information in real-time, allowing them to react accordingly in the field." The decision to install the live feed in the ambulance was made this summer after NYRA human resources representatives rode along in the chase ambulance during the Saratoga meet and saw that the EMTs encountered brief blind spots and obstructions in their view of a race. The system was tested with success early in the winter meet at Aqueduct and installed for full time use beginning April 10. The live race broadcast into NYRA ambulances is one of several initiatives in place to enhance the safety and welfare of all riders in New York. NYRA has a long association with North Shore University Hospital, Jamaica Hospital, Saratoga Hospital and Albany Medical Center, all of which are close to Belmont Park, Aqueduct and Saratoga Race Course and experienced in delivering quality emergency care. NYRA's Jockey Advocate program sends a registered nurse to the hospital to aid any rider involved in an accident with navigating the health system. NYRA also participates in the Jockey Health Information System program developed by the Jockey Club and Churchill Downs, which enables a jockey to enter and manage personal health information online. If a participating jockey is involved in an accident, appropriate racetrack medical and hospital personnel can immediately access the information in order to speed and enhance treatment.
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