Frequently asked questions

Clear answers for sensitive transportation needs.

Information for healthcare organizations, government agencies, community partners, and families about transportation referrals, ResponderShield Nexus (RSN), safety, and service coordination. Program- and contract-specific procedures may vary.

Referrals & portal

Requesting and coordinating transportation

How are transportation referrals submitted?

Authorized facility and agency partners can submit referrals through the secure RSN Partner Portal or contact Aquila’s 24/7 dispatch centers by telephone. Dispatch personnel enter telephone referrals into the same coordinated workflow. The public website begins general routing only; passenger-specific or protected information is exchanged through an authorized process.

Does our organization have to use the Partner Portal?

No. The portal provides a convenient way for authorized users to submit, follow, and manage referrals, but it is not a barrier to service. Organizations that cannot or prefer not to use it may continue coordinating referrals through Aquila’s 24/7 dispatch centers.

Who may submit a transportation referral?

Referral authority depends on the applicable program, contract, legal status, and service requirements. Aquila configures partner access and intake procedures around the organizations and user roles authorized to request transportation.

What information is needed at intake?

Requirements vary by program and may include pickup and destination information, referral authority, destination acceptance, requested service, scheduling needs, mobility considerations, medical-clearance information, legal status, known risks, and other details needed to plan the transport appropriately.

Can a referral be corrected or canceled?

Yes, subject to the referral’s status and applicable program procedures. RSN supports documented correction, cancellation, rejection, and disposition workflows so changes and their reasons can be communicated and retained appropriately.

Can families schedule transportation directly?

Availability for direct family requests depends on program rules and service authorization. Families may contact us for general information, but emergencies should always be directed to 911 or the appropriate local crisis resource.

Visibility & information

Understanding RSN and partner access

Can authorized partners track a transport?

When included in the partner’s program, authorized users can view appropriate referral status, assignment and ETA information, transport milestones, exceptions, and completion details through RSN. Direct access to Aquila’s 24/7 dispatch operation remains available when human coordination is needed.

Who can access our organization’s information?

RSN uses organization- and role-based access controls. Partner users are limited to the referrals, transport records, live trip information, and administrative functions permitted for their organization and role.

How is information protected?

RSN supports multifactor authentication, restricted role-based access, audit logging, encryption, secure hosting, and documented backup and recovery procedures. Business Associate Agreement requirements are addressed for applicable partner relationships, and safeguards are configured according to program, contractual, and legal requirements.

Can Aquila provide performance reports?

Yes. RSN supports KPI dashboards, transport-volume and service-reliability measures, audit history, quality review, incident and exception trends, AI-assisted operational summaries, and client-ready reporting. The specific measures, schedule, and level of detail are configured for the applicable agreement.

Can RSN integrate with our existing systems?

RSN is integration capable. API, SSO, EHR-related, billing, claims, and other connections are evaluated program by program. External connections require appropriate scoping, security review, partner participation, configuration, and testing; capability does not imply a pre-existing connection to every platform.

How long are transport records retained?

RSN can support long-term, including indefinite, record retention when required. Actual retention and access are governed by applicable law, contract, program requirements, and Aquila policy.

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Service & safety

People, vehicles, and operating standards

What services does Aquila Specialty Transport provide?

Aquila provides professionally coordinated behavioral health and specialized passenger transportation for authorized healthcare, government, community, and private partners. Available services depend on the jurisdiction, agreement, passenger needs, authorization, and required level of support.

How are the crew and vehicle selected?

Aquila reviews the referral, service type, authorization, passenger needs, mobility, risk, distance, legal status, and program requirements. Dispatch then coordinates an appropriate personnel, vehicle, and safety configuration, including multi-person crews or secured configurations when warranted and authorized.

How does Aquila support passenger dignity?

Our approach emphasizes calm communication, privacy, professional civilian appearance, trauma-informed interaction, clear handoffs, and the least restrictive service model appropriate to the authorized transportation. Safety resources are matched to need rather than used as the default experience.

What training do Transport Specialists receive?

Preparation is tailored to role and program requirements and may include behavioral-health awareness, trauma-informed care, de-escalation, recognized crisis-intervention coursework, Mental Health First Aid, CPR/AED/first aid, defensive driving, confidentiality, documentation, passenger assistance, and service-specific procedures.

How does RSN support transportation safety?

RSN connects qualification information, referral requirements, dispatch activity, trip milestones, operational exceptions, documentation, and quality review. It strengthens consistency and accountability while trained personnel and supervisors remain responsible for communication, judgment, escalation, and safe service delivery.

Is Aquila an ambulance service?

Aquila Specialty Transport provides specialized, non-emergency transportation and does not substitute for ambulance care. Aquila Medical Services is a separate affiliated medical-service entity. The appropriate provider and vehicle type depend on passenger needs, law, authorization, and contract requirements.

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Emergency guidance

This website is not an emergency or crisis line.

Does this website accept emergency requests?

No. Website submissions and general inquiries are not monitored as emergency communications. If someone is in immediate danger or requires urgent medical assistance, call 911. Use the appropriate local crisis resource for urgent behavioral-health support that does not require emergency response.

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