Dispatched to disease

[racing-emt03]

What is the appropriate way to inform responding units to a patient with a communicable disease.

Some options-

Have the unit call in on the phone

Use a code (like a 10-Code)

Just say it on the air

I am currently a dispatcher and that has been going around my center for a while, any ideas?

[JPINFV]

Legally speaking, if you don't use the patient's name then it shouldn't be a problem to say it over the air [assuming that the channel is not scrambled].

That said, legal, moral, and tact are three different things. If you are in a small town type area, I'd suggest having the unit call you. If you are in a big city type area where the responders are likely to not know the patient, then I'd just say it over the air. A third option would be to page the crew if you use pagers and can send out custom pages.

[Asysin2leads]

Many times a dispatcher will say "use universal precautions" to the dispatched units. Its a subtle way to inform the crew of an increased risk of exposure.

[Richard B the EMT]

FDNY EMS uses a computer/radio link. When the Computer Assisted Dispatch text is sent, it will be in the text, so the dispatcher might give a prompt to the crew to read the assignment.

As it is, the dispatchers usually only give, verbally, the street, and the cross streets, not the actual address. I said, usually, as there are some addresses that are really large buildings, like Madison Square Garden, or the seniors and disabled buildings at 711 Seagirt. I had a dispatcher tell me I had an injury at "Studio 54", but my partner knew the actual street address.

By the way, without cross-referencing to the Tactical EMS strings, when we are asked to back up the NYPD on a "Warrant Service" job, the address, either the actual location we're going to go to, or the precinct we will be staging from, is never read over the air, we are specifically told to "Read the MDT (Mobile Data Terminal) and 'hit the 63 button' (press the button transmitting the signal that the ambulance is on the way) ". I remember a Lieutenant that got reamed because he gave the location over the air. What, the bad guys don't listen to scanners like the rest of the population?

[ginpole]

Depends on what the disease is, some you can't tell anyone that the patient has it. Here in my region we have alpha/numeric pagers, easy to send information on.

[JakeEMTP]

Our dispatchers will usually dispatch a communicable disease as a " Person Sick ". Then after we check en route tells to "21" communications, which means to call them for more information. I think that is the only 10 code we use.

[JPINFV]

Depends on what the disease is, some you can't tell anyone that the patient has it. Here in my region we have alpha/numeric pagers, easy to send information on.

Err, example of a disease that a health care provider can't tell another health care provider about please? If dispatch knows that a patient has a communicable disease then they BETTER find some way to communicate that to me before I get there. If a patient in a health care facility is handing off a patient to me that has a communicable disease, I better learn about it when I'm receiving report. Period. If you want to pull me aside to tell me, then do so, but it is NOT something I want to find out by reading the patient's face sheet.

[AnthonyM83]

Why couldn't they tell you?

If the caller tells dispatch as part of the call, aren't they not only allowed, but also expected to tell the responding crew.

What good if the info to dispatch?

They might as well also not tell you that someone needs help.

[JPINFV]

They might as well also not tell you that someone needs help.

Didn't you get the memo? EMS stands for Earn Money Sleeping. If we were told that people needed help, then we wouldn't be able to fulfill that mission.

[SSG G-man]

Our radio system has an "EMS Secure" Channel. Only the ambulance radios have this channel, so fire side can not listen in. This is sometimes utilized. My department also has a cell phone in each of the units. Since it is a relatively small county, and some of the dispatchers are also members of our department, we sometimes get a call on the cell phone. County might go to sending rip and run sheets. These print out in station and give info. This might help to get the information out also.