Q&A
Distinguishing between life-threatening and non-life-threatening emergencies
0:46:37
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143 sec
Council Member Brewer asks Chief Fields to explain the difference between life-threatening and non-life-threatening emergencies, and how this affects EMS operations.
- Non-life-threatening emergencies are considered low acuity and could potentially be treated at urgent care centers or by appointment with a doctor
- Life-threatening emergencies include shortness of breath, chest pain, seizures, unconsciousness, and trauma
- Responding to non-life-threatening calls can limit resources available for true emergencies, potentially increasing response times
- There's a need for public education on what constitutes a true emergency requiring 911 response
Gale Brewer
0:46:37
Can you describe the process?
0:46:39
Because I think what's happening, at least, from my knowledge.
0:46:42
You've got life threatening, and then you have the non life threatening.
0:46:45
Can you talk a little bit more about the non life threatening?
0:46:47
Because that's tying up your staff also.
Michael Fields
0:46:49
That is.
0:46:50
The the non life threatening emergencies are the calls that we consider to be low acuity.
0:46:57
Things that you can possibly go to urgent care center or schedule an appointment to go and see your doctor at a later date.
0:47:04
They aren't things that are life threatening such as shoulder breath, chest pain, somebody having a seizure, somebody being unconscious, or having a syncable episode, or anything to do with any stoppage of circulation, no traumatic, or trauma.
0:47:17
So we're trying to make sure that the public understands that when they're calling 911 for instance a ear infection, we we get that quite a lot of them.
0:47:27
Right?
0:47:27
If I have a unit that's going to that assignment, when grandma is having, you know, shortness of breath is in APE, which is acute pulmonary edema or having some type of stroke or a heart attack.
0:47:41
My resources to respond to have have now become limited, and sometimes I have to pull people from a further area.
0:47:47
So now the response to has become elevate.
Gale Brewer
0:47:52
Okay.
0:47:53
But even the person on the street who gets hit by a bicycle but is not life threatening, you know, you don't have to be then that would be considered that's not the earache, but that is what people get told to call 911.
0:48:07
So I think people don't know the difference, to be honest with you, maybe for the ear infection, they should know better.
0:48:12
But for something like that, they don't know they're told to call 911 on a regular basis.
0:48:17
You'd be surprised, in my opinion, how many times you're called by city officials, I won't name which to call 911, even though I think to myself, that's not a 911 call.
0:48:27
So I think there's education on city officials also about when to use 911 and when not.
0:48:33
It's pretty common.
0:48:35
I can't deal with it.
0:48:37
Meaning sometimes PD call 911, and you're gonna get PD, but you might also get it for a medical situation.
0:48:43
I'm just saying it's quite common.
0:48:45
Something else to to think about.
0:48:49
911 calls.
0:48:50
How do they know when it is life threatening or not?
0:48:53
Is it just based on the person calling?
0:48:55
Saying this is an emergency, how would they how would the 911 dispatch know that?
