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Post by Firemedic on Aug 31, 2004 8:07:44 GMT -5
Whatever happen to the dispatch priority codes? Just like never hear them given anymore and wonder why after all the trouble of implimenting them we are not currently using them???
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Post by BCDISP on Sept 1, 2004 17:13:19 GMT -5
The 911 Center is currently experencing technical difficulties with the EMD computer program that assigns dispatch codes. We are currently working on the issue with our vendor to get the problem resolved. However during this crisis we do still have the flip cards to fall back on to provide medical instructions over the phone.
Any questions please feel free give Karin or myself a call.
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Post by Firemedic on Sept 14, 2004 23:11:54 GMT -5
Thank You for the clarification, just wondering. Another question for you: I seem to hear many ambulances being dispatched to "medicals", why? I would find it kind of redundant as an ambulance jockey being sent to a medical emergency since, thats usually why people call for an ambulance. Why not describe the problem like "back pain" or "laceration"?? This seems to be a popular dispatch here in this county.
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Post by canton1 on Sept 15, 2004 6:39:55 GMT -5
I am one that uses the "Medical Term" I do not use medical if I know it is a laceration or a pain call. I use it if they are discribing something I dont know or they dont know. If there is a specific "diagnosis" that is what you get. If you would rather we tell you something that is not true or is a WILD guess, I suppose we can do that OMG--that sounds so "STERMER"
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Post by jenn13t8 on Sept 15, 2004 17:05:59 GMT -5
I also use the "medical" or "unknown medical", mostly do to the fact that there is either too many minor complaints and no priority ones, or a basic lack of information given by the caller. Many times all the right questions are asked, only to be told, "well, sort of" or "maybe, but not really". It is hard to pinpoint what exactly is going on in the few minutes that we talk to them and the information we gather if there is no priority symptoms. If a definate answer/information is given, the I will most definately use that code instead. We also have one for "Trauma" someone is injured but no one is sure how/what/how badly.
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Post by chief322 on Sept 15, 2004 20:20:45 GMT -5
Is that the same as "your" definition of a shed the same as "our" definition of a shed on a structural assignment?
I have been dispatched for what the telecommunicator thought was a a Lowe's type shed and arrived finding a glorified barn (24X60) off.
This was the difference in a local being dispatched and a box assignment being dispatched.
Are the prerequisites to general and leave to much for the telecommunicators to leave to chance or calling their own shots? Who is accountable?
Tim chief322@epix.net
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911Mom
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Post by 911Mom on Sept 15, 2004 22:20:39 GMT -5
I also will use the term medical because alot of our elders in the county will say that the person they are calling for has had a "spell". The list of symptoms is then gleened from the caller and when the ambulance has responded they are relayed some of the more pertinent symptoms. Then there is the famous " I don't know whats wrong, they just ran over from next door and asked me to call an ambulance!" Then we dispatch the ambulance and try to make contact with the neighbors to get further information. I only wish that every EMS call was cut and dried so we could make a definite code determination.
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Post by Firemedic on Sept 16, 2004 15:55:18 GMT -5
I may be wrong but, you are a pretty smart bunch of folks so why do still over half of the dispatches get done that way. I understand that sometimes the "elder" folks may not be clear with whats going on, but alot of times additional info like "abdominal pain" or "dizziness" is given when the ambulance responds. So why don't you use those terms instead of the generic fit all that most likely would only be used 5-10% of the time and not 50-70% of the time.
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Post by FIREFIGHTER16 on Sept 16, 2004 19:38:37 GMT -5
I ALSO USE THE MEDICAL TERM BECAUSE SOMETIMES THE PATIENT CANT EVEN TELL US WERE THEY LIVE HALF THE AND IF THEY DONT KNOW WERE THEY LIVE YOU THINK THEY CAN TELL US WHATS WRONG. I WOULD SAY ABOUT 50% OF THE TIME THEY MIGHT KNOW
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911Mom
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Post by 911Mom on Sept 16, 2004 22:55:11 GMT -5
Speaking now from the flip side of the coin, when my pager goes off, especially during sleep time, all that is necessary is medical, trauma, cardiac, unresponsive, MVA, etc. For me at least it gets my mind set to where it needs to be without alot of extra verbage. While driving to the garage we hear what County tells ALS, if it is an ALS call, because they usually respond quicker than our rig. As BLS we will do basically the same thing for abdominal pain as we do for dizziness, except get out some barf bags for abdominal pain which we can't do until we respond with the rig anyway. Please bear in mind that this is my own personal feeling on this and not that of my corp, organization, or employer.
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Post by jenn13t8 on Sept 17, 2004 14:22:57 GMT -5
just a few more things to add- we don't necessarily have specific incident codes for every specific complaint- i.e there is no code for dizziness, or high bp or "just feeling funny" or some other things. We can either list them as a general illness or a medical. We are supposed to keep the pages short and sweet, and then give additional info to responders after they respond, so we lump it all together in the page, and then give more specific info after you respond, that way we are not repeating the same info 10 times for each individual responder.
Tim, in response to your comments, if they tell me its a shed, i say shed; if they tell me its a barn, i say barn. Shed or barn, no matter what type of structure it is, it is boxed (or should be) because it is a structure. Even a smoke alarm in a building is considered a structure until proven otherwise. Granted it is probably overkill in some instances, but we do try to err on the side of the pt, homeowner, etc. Lord knows, the general public's idea of a "huge" fire can be very different than a responders. IMO, it's better to have too much help on the way than not enough, you can always recall; but sometimes the information we receive is lacking due to a reporting party that is screaming at you to "just get them here now" and they will only give you so much no matter what you ask or how you ask it.
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Post by chief322 on Sept 17, 2004 18:57:01 GMT -5
Jenn; And that is why you make a good dispatcher (telecommunicator). Overkill is better than catch-up (or Ketchup). Tim
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Post by 911wacker on Sept 19, 2004 20:32:03 GMT -5
Speaking now from the flip side of the coin, when my pager goes off, especially during sleep time, all that is necessary is medical, trauma, cardiac, unresponsive, MVA, etc. For me at least it gets my mind set to where it needs to be without alot of extra verbage. Something that used too get done this way as well, the ALS services were dispatched like "Greater Valley EMS, Athens Boro for Chest Pains" and then once we got in the truck and called enroute the dispatchers would give us the address and patient info. I preffered this as did many of my co-workers to the current way its done. This saved the dispatchers from having repeat alot of information and made it easier on us too. Its too bad we can't get it like that once agian.
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