"For most people, the day they call 911 for a loved one, it's probably one of the worst days of their lives." -- Tom Openlander, Fire Chief, Kirkwood Fire Department
You will hopefully never need to call 911, but if you do, and if you do so in Kirkwood, there are a few things we would like you to know. If your call is medical in nature, you will be asked a series of questions to help us determine exactly what you need. However, please know this: While your dispatcher is asking you questions, a second dispatcher is sending help.
In March 2012, the Kirkwood Fire Department added Emergency Medical Dispatching (EMD) to its services. All Kirkwood dispatchers have now been trained on the system. EMD is a system of evaluating and prioritizing medical 911 requests for assistance. While new to Kirkwood, EMS Dispatching has been around for 30 years (originally implemented in Salt Lake City) and is now considered the norm both nationally and internationally. It follows the “Standard of Care for Community Systems.”
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Emergency medical dispatching starts with a series of questions from dispatchers, called “Structured Call Taking.” The same questions are asked of every caller. This allows for consistency and a thorough exploration of each question. For more information about this, please visit the City of Kirkwood's Blog, All Aboard.
Whenever someone calls 911 for a loved one, it is a high-anxiety situation. The callers often get frustrated because they do not understand why they are being asked questions. Please know, if you call 911, that our dispatchers will ask you questions. Please do not be upset by this. There is a reason for it. It may take 30 extra seconds, but it may also save the life of the individual patient for whom you are calling. Thank you.