Full Notification

The Wood County Dispatch Center has begun using a new life saving tool when answering medical and/or ambulance calls. It is called Emergency Medical Dispatching which adopts the worldwide accepted protocols from Priority Dispatch as set forth by the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch.

When dialing 911 for a medical emergency, callers want help even before the ambulance can get there. An Emergency Medical Dispatcher (EMD) is a medical professional that makes critical decisions based on a recognized and certified program that follows specific guidelines. This program determines the patients' needs, the necessary medical resources and whether or not we need to respond in emergency or non-emergency mode. The Emergency Medical Dispatcher is able to identify the medical emergency through a protocol of standardized questions. Then they will be able to provide life-sustaining medical instructions over the phone until emergency medical services arrive (This is known as "Zero Minute Response").

To achieve this Zero Minute Response, dispatchers will need to ask the 911 caller a series of systematic questions. The Emergency Medical Dispatcher will ask the address of the emergency, the telephone number of the person calling, the immediate medical problem, the patient's age, and if the patient is conscious and breathing. From there, the protocol will direct the Emergency Medical Dispatcher to ask further questions based on that specific emergency. Then the Emergency Medical Dispatcher will provide the appropriate pre-arrival medical instructions for the 911 caller to complete.

This process of questioning takes very little time, so it is important that the 911 caller remain calm and answer the questions as best they can. Please note that certain answers to critical questions will trip the system to immediately send responders, and then return to the questions and pre-arrival instructions.

The hardware and software for this advancement was purchased by Wood County, while grant money from The Community Foundation of Greater South Wood County and Riverview Healthcare Foundation provided the training needed to certify our entire Wood County Dispatch Staff. Using the Emergency Medical Dispatcher technology, which has been proven worldwide to save lives, furthers our commitment to give the people of Wood County the help they need when they need it the most.