So your loved one has suffered a heart attack. You fear for their life and feel helpless. You have no medical training and you are in desperate need of help. So what do you do? Like any other person in a time of emergency, you call 911.
Now what?
Activating the 911 system for first time often scares people. The thought of loud sirens, bright lights and several strangers entering your home can make you nervous or even hesitant to call in a time of need. For these reasons, I decided to create this article in hopes that you will know what to expect and what you can do to help in the event that someone you know or love takes a turn for the worst.
Unfortunately you can not plan or schedule emergencies. They often occur when you least expect it. Staying calm and taking control of the situation will be your key to a smooth transition from the panic of the incident to definitive medical care.
If you are at home, work or a place of business, always try to use a land-line telephone. In a state of panic you are likely to forget your address. Using a cell-phone makes tracing your location difficult for 911 dispatchers.
The 911 dispatcher is going to ask you several questions. Some of which may seem time consuming or ridiculous. Just remember, be patient and answer all of the questions clearly and accurately. Your answers will assist the dispatchers in assigning a priority to the call and give the paramedics valuable pre-arrival information. Try not to rush though the conversation. There are several dispatchers on duty at all times. While one is talking to you, another is dispatching the closest ambulance.
Once you know that help is on the way, you can perform several tasks to minimize the amount of time that the emergency workers have to be on scene.
- Make sure your lights are on.
The emergency crews will be looking for signs of activity. This will make locating your house easier.
- Leave your front door open.
This will also aid in spotting your house in the event that your address is not clearly visible.
- Clear a path.
Move cars out of the driveway, unlock any gates and move items that might prevent the paramedics from moving a gurney to the scene.
- Gather medications, identification and insurance information.
Have all of this ready in a bag. By doing this, you will cut several minutes away from the time the paramedics must stay on scene. This translates into a quicker transfer to definitive care.
If there are several people standing around, assign these tasks to others. Keeping people busy and out of the way will benefit your loved-one and make the responding paramedic’s job easier.
The paramedics will likely ask several questions. Some of which you may have answered when you spoke to the 911 dispatcher. Although this may seem like wasting time, be patient. The paramedics must have a clear understanding of what is wrong so they can determine the appropriate treatment and transport destination.
