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Understanding the Dispatcher Role in Medical Emergencies

Gary Reis

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Gary Reis oversees day-to-day operations at Pawtucket-based Med Tech Ambulance Service, which provides reliable hospital transport to residents all over Rhode Island. Gary Reis is also CEO of Access Ambulance Service, which utilizes the latest in telecommunication technology to support its 24-hour dispatch center.

During a medical emergency, a dispatcher is often the first point of contact. All medical and emergency dispatchers are trained in emergency management and are, therefore, an invaluable resource to callers waiting for EMTs to arrive. In order to do their job properly, dispatchers must be given very clear information about the location of the emergency in question by the caller.
Many people may not realize that emergency calls can be routed to dispatch centers that aren’t local. Therefore, in order to send out an ambulance or law enforcement officers quickly, operators must be given as much specific information about the location as possible. Though dispatch centers have technology that can triangulate a caller’s location, being able to provide a clear address can be crucial during a time-sensitive medical emergency.