Big vending machine

I suppose it was about five years ago that I first noticed some of these big oversized vending machines in airports. A machine where you could buy something like a digital camera, a Samsung tablet computer, or an iPod. They're pretty commonplace, these days, at least at the larger hub airports.

So I already had the mental picture, about a year ago, when Lincoln Fire & Rescue EMS Supervisor Scott Wiebe was describing the use of vending machines for managing medical supplies. He'd seen one in use for this purpose in Sioux Falls (or was it Sioux City). As soon as I heard the idea, I liked it. What a great way to control inventory, ensure an accurate log, manage expiration dates and so forth.

A year later, LF&R has just installed three machines: one each at St. Elizabeth Hospital and Bryan/LGH West, and a third at Fire Station 7, which is in the shadow of Bryan/LGH East. Whereas in the past, an ambulance crew or engine company that needed to restock an item often had to drive down to HQ, find the Battalion Chief, and (hopefully) accurately complete a paper log, the process is now quite different. You're already at the hospital, so step into the paramedic's office, enter your PIN code, and get the airway, EZ IO needle, or medication you need. You've avoided the time required for the trip downtown, getting even further out of position, and burning a few gallons fossil fuel. Moreover, the machine is connected to the Internet, so our stores clerk can keep track of stock online, and supervisors can track transactions from their desk or mobile data computer.

I stopped by Station 7 to see the box last week, and it's a beast. I understand it took a few people, a few hours, a few tools, and a large vocabulary to coax it through the various doors to its resting place. For all the world, though, it looks pretty much like a standard machine in the canteen--just a little larger. I think it's big enough that you'll be hard-pressed to shake loose your M&Ms if they hang up on the fall.