A fire alarm went off, the operator asked if we needed an ambulance and we said no but they showed up anyways asking if we needed medical assistance. What’s the point of asking?
In: Other
If your call is a medical issue only, they can dispatch just firefighters/EMTS/paramedics and skip the police.
Even there is a medical issue, they may also send firefighters first, since they can render first aid and determine if an ambulance is needed to transport to the hospital. Often times, the ambulance isn’t even needed. In most of the US, the ambulance is owned by a company contracted by the county/city and is needed to service a large area, whereas the police and firefighters service the city. Firefighters are usually closer to the caller because of the distribution of fire stations.
It varies by local rules, but in my area if you say you don’t need an ambulance, they’ll probably send one anyway, but at low priority. The ambulance will head your way, but without lights and siren, and if somebody official (police or fire dept.) calls them off, they’ll head back. If they arrive before being called off, they’ll still ask if you need help. The idea is that it’s better to at least have one on the way in case things get worse.
I got it. At one point I was a silly little green emt. A regular fire comes out and they send us to sit and wait for them to put the wet on the hot so we can leave. Family was said to be fine. We check them out and soot is all over their face and in their nose and throat. Little did I know that’s grounds for immediate transport. So I get in the front and we wee woo all the way to the hospital. Sometimes when firefighters are doing the cool guy stuff and putting out a fire and it’s taking awhile they send us just incase something happens.
Local protocols, I was a volunteer firefighter and whenever there was an automatic alarm we’d have to respond, even if the owner called in saying it was them just cooking. Just so we’d have eyes on scene
Depends on department policy. Some may automatically roll an ambulance with the engine… And vice versa.
They ask because it gives you an opportunity to tell them of any specific injuries you’re aware of, which can help the responding ambulance or ambulances better prepare to help.
They send one when you say you don’t need one because you may be wrong.
Because when an emergency call is attended, policemen are probably sent to the location.
And as they’re poorly trained, highly afraid of every other human being or outright evil the probability of someone being hurt, shot or killed by them is very high.
So the probability of the ambulance being needed is also very high.
And that is the main reason an ambulance is dispatched on every 911 call.
I’ve had to call for ambulances a few times in my life. It’s always have to argue to make sure they don’t send cops. heh
Latest Answers