Patient Transport Assets (Emergency Medical Services and Auxiliary Transport)

Patient transport may be a necessity prior to, during and after a disaster

The tools on this page are designed to help preparedness and response planners identify buses and other resources in their regions that can be used to transport patients and those with medical needs during an emergency.

Below you will find one statewide and nine regional matrices. Each matrix provides information about the number of vehicles available, the number of patients they can transport, location, contact information for pre-incident planning, links to useful websites and other useful planning information. Each matrix is updated quarterly by the Department of Health.

Please note:

  • These planning tools list potential transport resources. They are only for planning. We cannot guarantee the availability of specific resources.
  • During a real incident, please work through your local emergency management system if you need to procure patient transport resources.
  • Each contact identified on the matrix provided and reviewed the information within the tool.

Each matrix is preceded by a fact sheet describing the features of the matrix and critical assumptions. Be sure to read this information before using the matrix.

Patient Transport Capabilities Matrices

By Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response region (All files are in PDF)

  • Statewide
  • Region 1
    (Island, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish and Whatcom Counties)
  • Region 2
    (Clallam, Jefferson, and Kitsap Counties and the Makah Nation)
  • Region 3
    (Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, and Thurston Counties and the Quinault Nation)
  • Region 4
    (Clark, Cowlitz, Skamania, and Wahkiakum Counties)
  • Region 5
    (Pierce County)
  • Region 6
    (King County)
  • Region 7
    (Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Kittitas, and Okanogan Counties and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation)
  • Region 8
    (Benton, Franklin, Klickitat, Walla Walla, and Yakima Counties and the Yakima Nation)
  • Region 9
    (Adams, Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Garfield, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, and Whitman Counties and the Kalispel and Spokane Tribes)

Each matrix was developed by the Washington State Department of Health, in partnership with the Washington State Emergency Management Division, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Department of Social and Health Services and tribes within Washington State. It is an attempt to identify and build medical surge and patient transport assets to support disaster response.