Bedford 911 Communications Center receives upgrade to emergency medical call system
BEDFORD COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) - 911 dispatchers are our first point of contact on some of our most difficult moments.
That’s why it’s so important that they have as many tools as possible to help.
“We are truly the first first responders,” says Judson Smith, Director of the Emergency Communications Center that serves Bedford County and the Town of Bedford.
This week, the Bedford 911 Communications Center got an upgrade. They received a new emergency medical dispatching system through the International Academy of Emergency Dispatch
“Our previous emergency medical dispatch system was through cards,” explains Smith. “So we had a card set on our desk that we used to flip to the appropriate call type, and we would ask questions that were written on that card set and then type those into the CAD system.”
But not anymore. The new medical dispatch system is all digital, trading cards for concise congruency.
“This just makes it digitalized, the information that we put into this computerized system automatically crosses into our CAD system, which takes a few extra steps off the dispatchers, and hopefully speeds up the call process,” he adds.
He says it will better help dispatchers send the correct resources to help, saying the system will not slow down response times.
“It will help advance the consistency in the questions we ask our callers. We’ll have structured scripted questions that we’ll ask callers based on their emergency that will help us categorize those calls to the right party so we send the appropriate help to them in an appropriate manner, as fast as possible.”
That also makes it easier to give potentially lifesaving directions.
“It also allows us to give very in-depth and detailed instructions to our callers, such as providing CPR instructions, instructions on how to deliver a baby, providing medical, bleeding controlled, instructions and a lot of different other instructions,” says Smith.
The center is hopeful to begin using this technology for police and fire calls this summer.
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