Most all countries have an emergency phone number; in Canada and the USA it's 911; In England 999, Australia 000, and other countries, numbers such as 112, 449, or even 7, 8, or 9-digit numbers are used. Japan uses 119. From herein I'll refer to all emergency agencies as simply '911'.
PMDerinsleep added:
turkish numbers are 112 for ambulance, 155 for police, 110 for fire;
and 156 for 'gendame' (sic), o/a jandarma, which is half-police half-soldier.
This number can be daunting if you're unfamiliar with the system, what the number is used for, as well as how and when to use the number. This instructable aims to inform the reader on how to prepare for an emergency call, what to do when calling, and what is likely expected of the caller. The questions asked will vary by location and 911 service, but most all will ask for the same type of data.
My background: I'm a 911 dispatcher in Canada. I'm one of the thousands of people in the world on the other end of the phone when you have an emergency. I took quite a bit of training in dealing with people, specifically to ascertain information. This information is to get with our motto - to send the right response, to the right place, at the right time, as safely as possible.
This instructable does NOT aim to give any medical or safety instructions pertaining to ANY call types. Not only for reasons of liability, but for your own safety it is best to follow the instructions given by the operator when you call 911. I can with clean conscience suggest that all people get a lifesaving/first aid course and maintain CPR/AED/First Aid certification as per local standards. Brushing up on your local/provincial/state laws regarding protection of good samaritans is also a good idea.
Note - sorry to those who found/are reading this because of the proximity to the 9/11 tragedy, I just looked at the calendar on the computer and it reminded me of what I say 200 times a day at work - and how much I've been meaning to write this instructable.
PMDerinsleep added:
turkish numbers are 112 for ambulance, 155 for police, 110 for fire;
and 156 for 'gendame' (sic), o/a jandarma, which is half-police half-soldier.
This number can be daunting if you're unfamiliar with the system, what the number is used for, as well as how and when to use the number. This instructable aims to inform the reader on how to prepare for an emergency call, what to do when calling, and what is likely expected of the caller. The questions asked will vary by location and 911 service, but most all will ask for the same type of data.
My background: I'm a 911 dispatcher in Canada. I'm one of the thousands of people in the world on the other end of the phone when you have an emergency. I took quite a bit of training in dealing with people, specifically to ascertain information. This information is to get with our motto - to send the right response, to the right place, at the right time, as safely as possible.
This instructable does NOT aim to give any medical or safety instructions pertaining to ANY call types. Not only for reasons of liability, but for your own safety it is best to follow the instructions given by the operator when you call 911. I can with clean conscience suggest that all people get a lifesaving/first aid course and maintain CPR/AED/First Aid certification as per local standards. Brushing up on your local/provincial/state laws regarding protection of good samaritans is also a good idea.
Note - sorry to those who found/are reading this because of the proximity to the 9/11 tragedy, I just looked at the calendar on the computer and it reminded me of what I say 200 times a day at work - and how much I've been meaning to write this instructable.
Remove these ads by
Signing UpStep 1: BEFORE you call - Preparation
Before you have to call 911 there are a few thing you can do to prepare before the emergency to make the response quicker and the event less stressful for you and your family.
Emergency Info Sheet
Remember, this sheet might be used by someone not familiar with your house or area, such as a child, visitor, or neighbor. Rehearse reading this info with children, and keep a copy near each phone, possibly ON each phone. The fridge is a great place to store a copy as well. Whatever you choose, make sure everyone in your family is aware of the location(s).
Compile the following to an info sheet including but not limited to:
italics = optional
Your exact address.
Your phone number.
Driving directions to your location.
A description of the house.
A list of pertinent emergency and non-emergency phone numbers.
Common Name of owner of house/property. (Ex: Everland Estates)
Nearby landmarks. (Ex: Across from the Southridge Pond)
Backup contact info for key-holder. (Ex: Mr. Smith works at XYZ comapny + telephone number)
Any unusual hazards at your location (Ex: Ammo, explosives, non-household chemicals, weapons, high voltage, etc.)
Your exact address:
This is your address in whatever form your municipality/district/county commonly uses. Make sure to include (if appropriate) apartment/house number, road, and bordering intersections.
Ex: Apartment 107 - 4616, 106A ST NW
*106A ST between 46th and 47th AVE*
Your phone number
...kinda goes without saying. Make sure to include area code!
Driving directions to your house
This is CRUCIAL if you live in newer subdivisions, or in rural locations. Phrase them in complete sentences, with specific turns, and distances.
Ex:
*Start at the Kensington drive Mcdonalds heading east on Kensington:*
*go 2km east and turn right into McReary subdivision on 32 ave*
*go 3 blocks south and turn left to McRooney blvd*
*third house on left, number eleventy billion*
Description of your house/area
Be specific, anything that can be quickly used to identify your house
Ex:
*The large brick house on the corner* (assuming there are no other corner brick houses on corners)*
*The house with the red truck* - be sure it's UNIQUE
*The one with the big octagon window out front*
A list of pertinent emergency and non-emergency phone numbers.
This list should/could include:
*Utility company(ies) business-hours and after-hours numbers.
*Nursing medical question hot-line - there are several and they can decide if you need an ambulance or just an aspirin.
*Veterinary clinic 24-hour emergency number. (pets are people too, sadly we don't send ambulances for them)
*City hall numbers for municipal issues
*Call-before-you-dig 1-800 number - you don't want to knock out a city block of telephone lines, I've done it.
*Police Non-emergency number (also called the complaint line)
*Fire Non-emergency number (sometimes direct line to the fire station)
*Medical Non-emergency number (hospital or nursing line)
House Preparation
Signage: Make sure your house number/address is bold and visible from the street, DAY AND NIGHT. Your emergency crew and/or pizza guy will thank you. Consider getting a lit up house number sign from a home improvement store, or getting retroflective numbers that glow when any light is shone on the house. It doesn't do much good to have the right address if the crew cannot tell which house is yours. A porch light might not cut it if the light is off and you break your leg in the basement - you won't be able to turn it on. There are options that are solar powered so you don't need to modify your house to install a bright safe light.
Path: This should go without saying, but keep your walkways clear of obstructions and debris. Have snow/ice cleared regularly. The emergency crews might need to bring a stretcher into your house, and if they can't get the stretcher inside, it can delay life-saving medical attention. Crews are at risk on scenes where they don't know the lay of the land - Twisting an ankle because of a hole in the yard or crack in the path is NOT going to help during an emergency.
Emergency Info Sheet
Remember, this sheet might be used by someone not familiar with your house or area, such as a child, visitor, or neighbor. Rehearse reading this info with children, and keep a copy near each phone, possibly ON each phone. The fridge is a great place to store a copy as well. Whatever you choose, make sure everyone in your family is aware of the location(s).
Compile the following to an info sheet including but not limited to:
italics = optional
Your exact address.
Your phone number.
Driving directions to your location.
A description of the house.
A list of pertinent emergency and non-emergency phone numbers.
Common Name of owner of house/property. (Ex: Everland Estates)
Nearby landmarks. (Ex: Across from the Southridge Pond)
Backup contact info for key-holder. (Ex: Mr. Smith works at XYZ comapny + telephone number)
Any unusual hazards at your location (Ex: Ammo, explosives, non-household chemicals, weapons, high voltage, etc.)
Your exact address:
This is your address in whatever form your municipality/district/county commonly uses. Make sure to include (if appropriate) apartment/house number, road, and bordering intersections.
Ex: Apartment 107 - 4616, 106A ST NW
*106A ST between 46th and 47th AVE*
Your phone number
...kinda goes without saying. Make sure to include area code!
Driving directions to your house
This is CRUCIAL if you live in newer subdivisions, or in rural locations. Phrase them in complete sentences, with specific turns, and distances.
Ex:
*Start at the Kensington drive Mcdonalds heading east on Kensington:*
*go 2km east and turn right into McReary subdivision on 32 ave*
*go 3 blocks south and turn left to McRooney blvd*
*third house on left, number eleventy billion*
Description of your house/area
Be specific, anything that can be quickly used to identify your house
Ex:
*The large brick house on the corner* (assuming there are no other corner brick houses on corners)*
*The house with the red truck* - be sure it's UNIQUE
*The one with the big octagon window out front*
A list of pertinent emergency and non-emergency phone numbers.
This list should/could include:
*Utility company(ies) business-hours and after-hours numbers.
*Nursing medical question hot-line - there are several and they can decide if you need an ambulance or just an aspirin.
*Veterinary clinic 24-hour emergency number. (pets are people too, sadly we don't send ambulances for them)
*City hall numbers for municipal issues
*Call-before-you-dig 1-800 number - you don't want to knock out a city block of telephone lines, I've done it.
*Police Non-emergency number (also called the complaint line)
*Fire Non-emergency number (sometimes direct line to the fire station)
*Medical Non-emergency number (hospital or nursing line)
House Preparation
Signage: Make sure your house number/address is bold and visible from the street, DAY AND NIGHT. Your emergency crew and/or pizza guy will thank you. Consider getting a lit up house number sign from a home improvement store, or getting retroflective numbers that glow when any light is shone on the house. It doesn't do much good to have the right address if the crew cannot tell which house is yours. A porch light might not cut it if the light is off and you break your leg in the basement - you won't be able to turn it on. There are options that are solar powered so you don't need to modify your house to install a bright safe light.
Path: This should go without saying, but keep your walkways clear of obstructions and debris. Have snow/ice cleared regularly. The emergency crews might need to bring a stretcher into your house, and if they can't get the stretcher inside, it can delay life-saving medical attention. Crews are at risk on scenes where they don't know the lay of the land - Twisting an ankle because of a hole in the yard or crack in the path is NOT going to help during an emergency.
Visit Our Store »
Go Pro Today »
Thanks for the tip!
*As I dispatch, I hate having the crews come back and say "none of the houses have numbers"...really adds delay to the process.
It's helpful and harmful when you have more information than is required -- yes, I agree all the symptoms you mentioned are pri-1. Only problem lies in that most, and I must emphasize most (>90%) of comms folk worldwide are not medically trained. Nobody's perfect and I can't comment to your case obviously but there is certain information that has to come in the right order -- hence why this instructable doesn't teach the questions.
In an emergency situation, we need very few things to get a pre-alert out, namely location, preferably phone, and general idea of what's going on. The rest is serial linear questioning to stay on track -- extra information out of order can HURT the process.
for example, when I get a call from a doctor/nurse and I ask tell me exactly what happened, they volunteer at the start "my pt is diaphoretic, poor cap refill, a/o 2/4, sat 67, bp 190/100, high potassium, hasn't had a bowel movement in 3 days", none of that is a direct answer to a question that we can reasonably assume. I'll do my best to remember it, but the start of a call I'm pressing for priority symptoms. If they just said "chest pain" or heart attack off the get-go, then we've saved 20 seconds of dialogue. A question with a clear answer already volunteered can be considered answered but like I said before, if the answer was not the target of a previous question it's information easily lost.
As for asking 'the same questions' then that's just poor communication. I would put forward an inquiry to that call to see if procedure was followed.
It's far too late, and still a very painful memory. I miss my friend very much. Basically I gave the info you described and stuck to address, phone number airway breathing and circulation, but probably with too much info since I immediately kicked into EMT mode, and I knew my friend was in crisis.
It also happened in Canada, back when there were just "ambulance attendents" with very basic training (couldn't hang IV's, couldn't intabate etc.) and most Canadians did not know what an EMT was. This is not a bash at Canada-it's just the way it was. I was trained in the USA where the program spinned off of Vietnam medic training during the war.
Training has come a very long way in Canada since my friend died. I can certainly see where you are coming from, and what you say makes sense. I will remember what you have told me. Thank you very very much for listening, and helping.
Thank you also for posting your Instructable.
HAZMAT - chemtec- 866-222-2177 US and MX
At my work, a dairy (convenience store), one of the pie warmers caught fire and I had to ring 111.
These instructions helped a lot when talking to the operator! Your quote of: "When you have an emergency, time seems to stand still." was true!
Thanks!
After an electrician looked over the pie warmer, it turns out that the previous electrician ran the live wire right beside the heater element!
Does your agency use the ProQA system? I recognize some of the questioning and wording from the system.
I'm a 911 dispatcher in Texas and this is definitely a helpful 'able. Our city recently transferred to a consolidated dispatch center; we have Ambulance, Fire, Police, and Animal control dispatchers in the same room as calltakers. After we did that, the city sent out a newsletter in the water bills with tips on how to call 911 and what to do, what info to have, etc. I wish they would've sent this out instead!
cypm
"discression" is the operative word. Enough said.
If you dial 000 and don't do/say anything, the fire brigade turns up.
Everything is 000 where I am. (Sydney) 112 works from mobile (cell) phones even if they are locked. Also I think there is a new system (don't know if it has been implemented anywhere yet) where dialing any one of the emergency numbers that you have mentioned here, including 112, will automatically divert to 000.
We get alot of US television here, and itis amazing how many people try to call 911. (By the way I am a firefighter).
Where is your new friend located?
Very good, helpful instructable.
This could save more lives, people no know when TO and when NOT to dial 911, therefore lines aren't held up.
I 'd like to be a 911 operator.
People know when TO and when NOT...
Could also speed up the process, if people have all the info written down, then it's quicker to explain.
What do they do?