Made My First 911 Phone Call On A Cell Phone

[Guest Sundancefisher]

At about 11:40 am I was walking with a friend towards the 5th Street SW underpass off of 9th Avenue SW (downtown Calgary) when I looked into the Impark lot on the SW corner. I saw a guy sitting down holding his head. I thought he looked different that your standard drunk guy so I stopped to engage him and notice A LOT of blood all over him and blood pouring out of an obvious head wound. So I walked over to assess and realized he needed an ambulance. I called 911 and was asked "for what city". What surprises me is that I would just assume the computer would know which location the call was coming from. Then after a lengthy discussion while the guy was bleeding she went through a book of what I should do. She asked me to put pressure on the wound with a towel or shirt..which was not around and plus this guy...being a vagrant and heavily covered in actively running blood...me with no gloves...while I feel ineffective I could not touch him. Therefore we waited for the ambulance. Then he mentioned that he had been assaulted by 2 native guys heading south bound. Well then I had to call have them send the police.

 

I am sure the guy was going be fine but with a horrible, horrible headache. I hope they catch the guy.

 

Sun

[flyfishfairwx]

At about 11:40 am I was walking with a friend towards the 5th Street SW underpass off of 9th Avenue SW (downtown Calgary) when I looked into the Impark lot on the SW corner. I saw a guy sitting down holding his head. I thought he looked different that your standard drunk guy so I stopped to engage him and notice A LOT of blood all over him and blood pouring out of an obvious head wound. So I walked over to assess and realized he needed an ambulance. I called 911 and was asked "for what city". What surprises me is that I would just assume the computer would know which location the call was coming from. Then after a lengthy discussion while the guy was bleeding she went through a book of what I should do. She asked me to put pressure on the wound with a towel or shirt..which was not around and plus this guy...being a vagrant and heavily covered in actively running blood...me with no gloves...while I feel ineffective I could not touch him. Therefore we waited for the ambulance. Then he mentioned that he had been assaulted by 2 native guys heading south bound. Well then I had to call have them send the police.

 

I am sure the guy was going be fine but with a horrible, horrible headache. I hope they catch the guy.

 

Sun

 

Cell phone companies have been collecting money for years to make the system work the way you thought it should, but yeah a cell phone will not tell the 911 op where you are calling from..the GPS tech is out there but the ground side of it has to be upgraded, and some other stuff..

 

I am surprised that is a lengthy conversion, the idea is to get the right help to the right place, usually under 30 seconds..

 

If the guy is conscious then he is the one who should have been putting the pressure on his wound(s).. You do not have to do any thing that you are not comfortable..

 

WRT the assault, on the patient..

 

The op should have asked this question, It has been a couple of years since my last 911 shift, but I think that is part of the protocol, and it sounds like she was not following it to the letter, it is there to protect the Dispatcher and the patient and caller..

 

[Heimdallr]

I've heard a couple ridiculous complaints about 911 and its inefficiencies lately, which is a shame because we pay for it.

[flyfishfairwx]

I've heard a couple ridiculous complaints about 911 and its inefficiencies lately, which is a shame because we pay for it.

 

If the province goes to three regional dispatch centres then I think it will get worse unless you live in the city with the regional centre, I believe the smaller local centres are a better way to go, governed by a provincial body yes, held to the same highest standards yes, but centralized no..

[Guest Sundancefisher]

If the province goes to three regional dispatch centres then I think it will get worse unless you live in the city with the regional centre, I believe the smaller local centres are a better way to go, governed by a provincial body yes, held to the same highest standards yes, but centralized no..

 

I found the dispatcher appeared to sound unorganized. I made very sure to answer questions promptly and concisely.

[flyfishfairwx]

I found the dispatcher appeared to sound unorganized. I made very sure to answer questions promptly and concisely.

 

That scares the hell out of me, even in my little dispatch centre we had to follow the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch http://www.emergencydispatch.org/ Protocols .. they are by far the best and considered the standard.. I do not know if the Calgary Dispatch Centre uses some thing else.. if they did I would be afraid very afraid..

 

I dispatched out of Wainwright, which does not have a the largest population base but the area covered was one of the largest if not the largest in the province, from above Cold lake over to Viking down to Consort Coronation and Caster and over into Sask.. It was great working there and with great people for the most part..

 

[Heimdallr]

The problem with centralizing the thing is then you have people that might not really understand the situation/area/people and may not be the best to deal with the person. When you feel like you're getting no where and wasting valuable time when you are calm and not the one injured how is this system going to work when the person who calls in freaking out, impatient, and in serious need of help?

[flyfishfairwx]

The problem with centralizing the thing is then you have people that might not really understand the situation/area/people and may not be the best to deal with the person. When you feel like you're getting no where and wasting valuable time when you are calm and not the one injured how is this system going to work when the person who calls in freaking out, impatient, and in serious need of help?

 

 

That happens less then you would think, however when it does, there are again proven protocols for handling that situation..

 

 

But to your point... yes it will be an issue, because familiarity with the area by the dispatchers, plays a big part of the dispatch event.. example Emerson church may not be Emerson's Church but Corner church on Emerson's corners.. Here in Alberta there is a ton of that local landmarks knowledge that is needed to dispatch when a caller is in an agitated state.. you can not second guess your caller.. but you must be able to think and have the same knowledge of the area as the caller . IT REALLY HELPS !!!!

 

THIS IS FOR ALL PEOPLE "KNOW WHERE THE F#CK YOU ARE.. PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR SURROUNDINGS..

 

My first E911 call was from an excpectant father on a highway between two major cities in central north east Alberta think Bnnyv and Cool Pond he did not know how close he was to one or how far he was from the other.. and he could see the babies head... and he was freaking ..

 

It hooked me on Dispatching... WHAT A RUSH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!