What happens when you dial 911 in Harvard?
Since a very young age, we all are instructed to dial 911 in case of an emergency. However, we often do not understand what happens once the number is dialed and a dispatcher answers the phone. This can be very intimidating, especially for someone already stressed by the initial emergency. In this article, we will explain many of the inner workings of a 911 call and the emergency response unit, as it pertains to Harvard.
If you call from a land line, your call will be received directly in Harvard Dispatch. If you call from a cell phone, you will be connected to a state dispatch center that will then connect you to a local dispatch based on your location.
On a land line, “enhanced 911” allows dispatch to see your exact address, but if you call from a cell phone you will need to share your location. It is very important that you know your location if you call from a cell phone so that the emergency response unit can find you as quickly as possible. New technology is enabling dispatch services to locate you through cell phone signals; however, this innovation is not available in many places.
When you speak with dispatch, you will share information about your emergency. The dispatcher will then tone out the call to the emergency response units. Depending on the type of emergency, the dispatcher will tone for a response by the ambulance service, fire department, and/or police department. The police always respond to 911 calls to confirm that there is an emergency.
Members of the Ambulance Service are ready to respond 24/7, so the response time is usually short; sometimes part of the crew responds directly to the scene to provide care more quickly. Mutual aid from a neighboring town will be called if Harvard’s ambulance is already attending to another emergency. If the emergency requires skills that are outside the protocols of Harvard Ambulance (a Basic Life Support service), an Advanced Life Support (ALS) crew will be called.
The three ALS services that respond to calls in Harvard are ProEMS, MedStar, and Ayer Fire. Some types of calls that will require ALS are chest pain emergencies, respiratory distress, diabetic crisis, stroke, and severe pain that will call for intravenous medication. If an ALS unit responds to the scene or meets the Harvard Ambulance en route to the hospital, a paramedic will ride in Harvard’s ambulance, providing care to the patient with the help of Harvard EMTs.
When dispatch answers your call, they will need to know information about your emergency. Some of the questions you should be prepared to answer include:
- What is your emergency?
- When did this happen?
- Where are you?
- Where did this happen?
Dispatch will most likely ask you all of these questions and more if needed in order to properly prepare the responding unit and provide you with support while you wait. All parts of the emergency response system are completely confidential, so do not worry, about sharing private information with the dispatcher.
Another important fact about calling for an ambulance as a Harvard resident is that all care and transports are free; no deductibles and no copays will be billed directly to the resident patient. After being treated by the Harvard Ambulance Service, your health insurance company will be billed, and Harvard Ambulance accepts their payment as complete. The all-volunteer ambulance service uses collections to cover all operational costs: EMT training, medical supplies, equipment, ambulance maintenance, licensing, and certification fees. This is an important benefit of the Harvard Ambulance Service because any hesitation to call for help in fear of the cost is removed.
You should never delay calling 911 for an ambulance if you suspect a health emergency.
