IF YOU NEED TO CALL 9-1-1.........................

Tip # 2: Requesting help for Someone Who’s Sick

When you hear “9-1-1, Where is your emergency? State your location and give a brief summary of what is going on: Example: “Bartley; my mother is a diabetic and I found her unconscious on the floor.” The call taker now knows that you need an ambulance, which direction it needs to go, and why.

When the dispatcher gets back on the phone with you, give clear directions to the emergency. If your mother is at the house you’re calling from, directions may come up on the dispatcher’s computer screen with your phone number. She will ask you for directions anyway to verify the information on the screen. If the patient is at a location other than where you are calling from, give directions to the patient’s location.

Remain as calm as possible. If you are hysterical, the dispatcher can’t get the information he/she needs. Listen carefully to what they are saying. They are trained to help you, but you must listen to their instructions.

Don’t get upset by their questions, they are gathering important information for the medical personnel responding on your call and preparing to give you pre-arrival instructions for the patient.

Don’t hang up until the dispatcher says that you can and keep the line clear until the ambulance arrives in case they need to call back.

Once again, remain calm, give clear directions, have necessary information available and listen to the dispatcher. Your help will arrive much sooner!