Dispatching emergency calls with Parkland Ambulance

“It’s not just putting someone on hold and yelling across the room, they can literally see the call in real time what it is,” Karasiuk said. “It’s an incredible job of co-ordination, it’s not just getting the information and pushing a button and sending it, it’s coordinating all those resources we need.”

According to Natasha Cameron, the process is streamlined to make it efficient for those working in the communications centre.

“We have a script that we can read from that’s come through from the [National Academy of Emergency Dispatch],” Cameron said. “Anybody that calls in we ask them what their problem is and from what they tell us we have to fit it into 33 [categories].”

Cameron has been with Parkland Ambulance Services for the last five years. She’s currently the communications training officer, as well as an emergency dispatcher and a quality assurance monitor.

Karasiuk explained scripting is valuable because no matter the situation, or where it may occur in the country, dispatchers are trained to answer calls the “the same way, the right way every time.”

He said depending on the categories which are filled out, the system automatically dispatches the most appropriate service.

“Sometimes we need first responders, sometimes… the communications centre staff can hear screaming or yelling going on in the background, so their intuition is telling them it’s not safe to send the paramedics,” Karasiuk said. “They want to make sure it’s safe, so they’ll tell the crews to stand by,”

When callers are panicking due to stressful situations, Cameron explained the dispatchers also operate based on scripts designed to calm people.

She said the most important piece of information is a caller’s address, directions to the desired location or a land location.

“Write it down, have it by your phone so anyone else can give that land location,” Cameron said. “We can pinpoint exact land location so if you’re unsure of total directions, we will be able to find you.”

Cameron said calls involving general sickness, chest pain, difficulty breathing and car accidents are the most frequent dispatches handled by the telecommunicators at Parkland.

Prince Albert is home to one of three ambulance dispatch centres in Saskatchewan. The centre uses state of the art technology to provide services to three different health regions and 16 ambulance companies.

The Parkland Ambulance Care Communications coordinates on calls with the RCMP, fire departments, city police, STARS Air Ambulance and Northern Med-Evac services between Hudson Bay and Big River, and from La Ronge to Porcupine Plain.

In any given day, the communications centre handles 30 to 35 calls in a 12-hour shift. In 2016, the centre took in 23,651 calls with 6,124 inter-facility transfers.

Last year, the province of Saskatchewan introduced Text with 911 services for the deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired which is offered in both French and English.

In a press release issued by the Ministry of Government Relations, four tips are highlighted to prevent “accidental or prank calls.” People can remember to lock their keypads, manually dial 911 as opposed to having the number pre-programed into their devices. People are encouraged to teach their children when and when not to call 911. Anyone who accidentally calls 911 is asked to stay on the line to confirm with the call taker there is no real emergency.

Bryan.Eneas@jpbg.ca

On twitter: @BryanEneas

by paNOW

Dispatching emergency calls with Parkland Ambulance

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