Emergency Incident Response Diversion
September 19, 2024
While out at lunch at a local water park, I happened to assist a patient that hit his head pretty hard will having fun. While talking with him, he kept stating that he didn’t want to be a bother while I, due to his symptoms, urged him to let me get EMS enroute to check him out. Then he said something that prompted me to write this newsletter… “I don’t want to take up valuable resources when someone may be having an actual emergency.”
I want to introduce all of you to a term we use called “Diversion.” When a 911 call comes in to communications, our amazing dispatchers take the information and “triage” the call. This means they take in all the info and identify what level of response is required. These can range from “Service Call” which is a non-emergency, low priority call to a “Priority One” life threatening emergency.
How “Diversions” work is that, if an emergency vehicle is dispatched to a lower level priority and a higher level one comes in in the same area, the responding units will “divert” to the higher level emergency. This way, the incident that needs the most immediate help will get it in a timely manner. Then the dispatchers will send another unit to the incident that the previous apparatus was “diverted” from. It may sound a little confusing but it works!
So, the next time you have a situation that you may need 911, don’t think you’re taking personnel and equipment from other emergencies. Remember that we have policies in place to make sure that everyone gets the service they need, in the priority order that’s required.
Be Safe!