Date: Fri 17-Oct-1997

Publication: Hea

Author: ANDREA

Quick Words:

911-emergency

Full Text:

911 STORY FOR HEALTH MONITOR

WITH PHOTO AND SIDE

(PAM, IF YOU ARE TIGHT FOR SPACE, YOU CAN KILL THE SIDE BAR.)

Be In The Know Before You Dial 911

(with photo & sidebar)

BY ANDREA ZIMMERMANN

Since it was first established in the late 1960s, the 911 number for emergency

response has become an intricate, high-tech system linking residents with

police, fire, and medical personnel. Those who are aware of how the system

works and what information a 911 dispatcher needs will be able to save time -

and, perhaps, even a life - when an emergency situation arises.

The concept behind 911 ("One number for one nation") was to have a short

number that was easy to remember so there would be less delay in dialing for

help. "The quality of service increased dramatically," said Newtown's Chief

Communications Officer Jim Crouch. "Our job is much easier since 911 was

established."

In 1989, the state mandated all of the 169 cities and towns in Connecticut to

have the 911 system. Today, the 911 enhanced features provided by Southern New

England Telephone provide not only name and telephone number of the caller

(similar to the Caller ID service currently available to the public) but also

an automatic location indicator. Having the address appear immediately on a

screen has clearly saved many lives, said Mr Crouch.

One example is when a caller is barely able to talk because of respiratory

distress. Rather than struggle to have the caller communicate vital

information, the dispatcher can simply ask him to verify what has been

provided by the telephone company.

"That actually makes our local telephone company part of the 911 team," said

Mr Crouch. "Their database programmers need to put in the correct information.

You make a mistake in a 911 database and it could cost a life."

But errors do happen and dispatchers send any corrections to SNET on a monthly

basis.

The number of calls has increased with the advent of cellular telephones. But

right now the technology is not there to provide 911 dispatchers with the

cellular telephone number or the location of the car. But federal law requires

the number to be available by April of 1998, and the location (within a 410-ft

radius) by October of 2001, according to Mr Crouch. All 911 centers must be

updated with state-of-the-art digital equipment by the end of 1999; the state

will pay for one system for each municipality, he said.

"I love the modern technology. You really have to be on your toes to keep up,"

said Mr Crouch. Unlike Danbury, Newtown has a computer-aided dispatch (CAD)

that displays directions to the scene, the nearest cross street, the main and

secondary fire companies, and the five EMTs closest to the scene. "I enjoy

helping people, being one of the links in the chain for emergency services."

Who Answers The Call

A trained dispatcher answers 911 calls, but the number of dispatchers and type

of Primary Public Safety Answering Point (PPSAP) may differ from town to town.

For instance, in Newtown there is only one fire/EMS dispatcher on during a

shift, and the PPSAP is the police department. Danbury has two people on at

all times, and 911 is based at the fire department.

"It gets more and more complicated as the population grows; it's a challenge,"

said Mr Crouch. New streets are created, and the volume of calls increases as

the population grows. Last year, the 911 dispatchers in Newtown received 6,445

calls; 1,344 were fire/EMS calls. During the first three quarters of this

year, there were 878 calls for medical, alone. Newtown is considering the

possibility of consolidating the primary (police) and secondary (fire/EMS)

dispatch centers so they will have two people on at all times.)

Last year, Danbury had 11,365 EMS and fire calls with more than half being

medical. EMS calls lead again this year, with 4,598 being logged through

October 1.

Mr Crouch, who has been a dispatcher in Newtown for ten years, says he has

photographs of the 911 center showing a couch and a pair of slippers. "That's

how quiet it was," he said. "There was a radio console and a normal phone

where you had to dial seven digits." The dispatchers had to use the assessor's

road list to determine which of the five fire companies should be called to

respond to an emergency.

Dispatchers usually do not offer pre-arrival medical instructions beyond

basic, common sense advice. The controversy surrounding the issue focuses on

whether or not it is consistently effective and possible legal ramifications.

"Every person should become CPR certified," said Mr Crouch, citing the

incredible success rate in the city of Seattle due to the emphasis on learning

CPR. "Courses are offered by Newtown Ambulance Corps. I'm all for pre-arrival

medical instructions, but we have ten things to do two minutes ago." With a

one-person dispatch center, it is not possible to give CPR instructions over

the phone because other emergency calls or dispatch duties are likely to

interrupt the process.

What typically unfolds is the dispatcher asks the caller for specific

information, then sends out a crew and directs personnel to the scene.

When You Dial 911

Some people are hesitant to dial 911, especially the senior population, said

Danbury's Communication Supervisor Patrick Sniffin. "People's perceptions of

what an emergency is differs," he said. "If someone has a concern [great]

enough to prompt them to call the police department, fire department, or

ambulance - even if it's a question - he should be dialing 911."

The dispatcher will ask you these questions and give you the following

instructions:

What is the emergency? (They will contact the appropriate emergency personnel,

including a utility company if appropriate.)

What is your name?

What is your phone number?

What is the condition of the victim or victims?

Don't hang up until the dispatcher tells you to do so.

When you do hang up, make a list of the medications currently taken by the

afflicted person.

Don't leave the victim alone. But if another person is available, have him go

outside to flag down the ambulance.

If there are any major changes in the person's condition before the EMS

arrives, call the dispatcher again and inform him.

Opinions vary as to whether or not you should call back with any other

questions ("Where are you?" "Did you miss my street?"). Mr Crouch said this

type of call-back could delay him in getting help to the scene. In Danbury,

where there are two people to answer the phone, Mr Sniffin said they welcome

any calls because they have the man-power to spend reassuring people that help

is on the way.

After the appropriate personnel and equipment has been dispatched, Mr Crouch

said he may call back and get more detailed information to determine whether

or not the regional paramedic is needed.

"The EMS is usually there quickly," said Mr Crouch. But even in the more

remote areas of a town, help is not far away. "The goal is 10 minutes to have

at least a direct responder there."

Think Ahead

Even though changes in 911 have allowed for a faster dispatch of emergency

personnel, the time saved may be for nought if they can't find you. "We still

have a major problem in response in town because street signs disappear," said

Mr Crouch. "When you notice a street sign is missing, call the highway

department."

Street numbers should be clearly posted on houses.

And teach your children about 911. As Mr Sniffen said, "You can't educate kids

too early to be prepared in emergency situations."