Countywide : Fire Dispatchers to Begin Advising Emergency Callers
In an effort to improve emergency medical services, fire dispatchers will soon begin coaching panicky callers until medical help arrives, the county fire chief announced this week.
By Sunday, the county’s 12 fire protection district dispatchers will have completed a two-week “pre-arrival” training course and will be equipped with reference books to help them provide detailed, over-the-phone medical instruction to callers in the sometimes critical minutes before professional help reaches the scene, Fire Chief George Lund said.
“If someone is passed out, the dispatcher will be able to help the caller look for vital signs,” Lund said. “Ultimately, this could help save lives.”
In addition to calls made directly to the Fire Department, all medical emergency 911 calls made to the Sheriff’s Department will be routed to the trained fire dispatchers, Lund said.
He said he expects the department to receive about 12 calls requiring the emergency phone assistance each month.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
