New Emergency Medical Dispatching System

Ways to Give

Her call to 911 was frantic: “My 20-month-old granddaughter is having a seizure!” –“What’s your address? We’ll send an ambulance.” – Click. And then, silence...

The next 10 minutes were terrifying for Mount Carmel Foundation Director of Development, Jan Burkey, as she and her husband waited with their granddaughter for the EMS to arrive. “The emergency dispatcher told us they would send an ambulance and then hung up without offering any reassurance or medical instructions on what we should be doing to help her,” Burkey said. “We had no clue what to do. We were desperate.”

Today, little Sophie is once again healthy after suffering a febrile seizure not uncommon in young children with high fevers – but not every family could be so lucky.

“Bystander instructions prior to EMS arrival can often make the difference between life, death and long-term disability,” explains Dr. Paul Zeeb, Medical Director of Emergency Services at Mount Carmel East. Dr. Zeeb is an advocate for an updated Emergency Medical Dispatching (EMD) system that would allow dispatchers to provide 911 callers with critical instructions on how to help victims while awaiting EMS arrival. “In the event that someone is critically ill, the advanced pre-hospital care made possible through the new program would create the opportunity to save lives and improve patient outcomes with early intervention.” Mount Carmel Connection

The Mount Carmel Foundation, in collaboration with the Metropolitan Emergency Communications Center (MECC) Agency, has recently addressed the need for an updated system and is fully committed to raising 100% of the funds for a Priority Dispatch program. The new Priority Dispatch program would undoubtedly improve the safety, efficiency and delivery of emergency services to the 131,136 residents on the city’s east side including those in Violet Twp. (Pickerington), Mifflin Twp. (Gahanna), Plain Twp. (New Albany), Jefferson Twp. (Blacklick), Truro Twp. (Reynoldsburg) and the City of Whitehall.

The new Priority Dispatch system is recognized as industry best practice and unlike the current dispatching system, is completely computerized. With the current dispatching system, emergency dispatchers follow flip cards with emergency instructions that are inflexible and allow the dispatcher no consistent ability to consider the patient’s response to care provided by the 911 caller.

With the Priority Dispatch program, dispatchers would be able to give 911 callers accurate instructions pending EMS arrival by documenting the victim’s response to treatment and then directing additional instructions by following the physician-approved protocols prompted by the computer system. Dispatchers could give callers directions on what to do in such emergencies as traumatic injuries, choking or administering CPR to someone who isn’t breathing. The vital instructions provided by the dispatcher would allow the 911 caller to act appropriately and perform life-saving measures while awaiting the arrival of the EMS.

It is these exact instructions that Burkey would have so greatly appreciated when she had to dial 9-1-1 for her granddaughter. “We were lucky that Sophie ended up being okay despite the lack of any medical direction from the dispatcher,” Burkey said. “It’s scary to think what the consequences could be for other families without an updated response system.”

Donations to Mount Carmel Foundation’s Area of Greatest Need help fund programs like the Emergency Medical Dispatching System.