By Joyce E. Portik
Fire & Rescue Public Relations
“911, what is the address of your emergency?” Those are the words you’re likely to hear when you dial 911. Emergency situations occur and are always different. There is no ‘normal’ situation. Emotions run high as well as adrenaline jumping into the mix.
What should your response be?
• First, take a deep breath and stay calm. 911 dispatchers are trained to calmly and effectively gather information and assess emergency situations so that they can send the right help to your situation; typically medical, fire or law enforcement.
• Next, tell the dispatcher where you are, what is happening or what type of responder you need. Give as much detail as possible about your location and the number you’re calling from. According to the National Emergency Number Association, more than 80 percent of 911 calls are made from cell phones which aren’t associated with a specific address like a landline is. Plus, emergency calls are just as prone to drop. By clearly stating your location and what kind of emergency responder you need as well as your phone number, the 911 operator can dispatch emergency responders to your location and call you back if the call drops.
Chances are, even after help is on the way, the 911 dispatcher will continue to ask you questions, “Did someone fall and hit their head? Does he/she have a bullet wound? What caused the emergency and how many people are injured?” Describe the situation as simply as possible. By you answering these questions, the dispatcher can further assess your situation and pass details along to the first responders en route to you. They will also help you manage the situation until help arrives.
Once the dispatcher has a good understanding of your situation, his/her attention will go to the condition of the patient. The dispatcher will want to know if the person is breathing; are they conscious; is there bleeding? Based on your answers, the dispatcher may instruct you on how to administer first aid which could be putting pressure on the bleeding or how to begin CPR. I know that is a scary thought, but the dispatcher is well trained and will walk you through how CPR is done and will count the compressions with you to ensure you are doing them at the correct rate, which will help keep you calm and focused.
Follow all instructions given to you as you wait for first responders to arrive on the scene. This may come in the form of an ambulance, a fire truck or other nearby medical or safety professionals who have emergency medical training. So, in short, when you call 911:
• Stay calm.
• Give your location, or an address if possible.
• Give clear answers to all questions.
• Follow directions.
• Remain on the phone with the 911 dispatcher until they’ve told you it’s safe to hang up.
Following these steps will not only help the patient of the emergency, but you’ll be helping to keep the situation under control and preventing others from panicking. And, you might just have helped save a life.
Clay County Fire and Rescue
Week of Feb. 15-21
Total calls - 23.
Medical assist calls - 15.
No incident found - 2.
Assist invalid, citizen assist – 1.
Carbon monoxide alarm – 1.
Motor vehicle accident – 1.
Vehicle fire alarm – 1.
False alarm – 1.
Good intent call - 1.
Joyce E. Portik is the Public Information Officer for the Clay County Fire and Rescue Squad.