INDUSTRY NEWS
This article can be found on
page 4 of the Mar/Apr 1998
issue of 9-1-1 Magazine.
Call Triage Belongs In The PSAP
All the anxiety nowadays about solutions for inappropriate use of 9-1-1 for non-emergencies and whatnot has resulted in a mass migration to National Alternate Numbers. Whether driven by politics or Corporate America, non-emergency numbers like 3-1-1 or 1-800-COPS or whatever it might be are being discussed and debated at all levels of Emergency Communications management. Or perhaps I should say, Non-Emergency Communications management. To my way of thinking, much of this embracing of alternate numbers is akin to putting a Band-Aid on the problem. We're offloading calls in an attempt to ease an overburdened 9-1-1 system rather than dealing with more proactive solutions like public education, tiered call-taking systems, better triaging by dispatchers, or (here's a novel idea): more dispatchers and better training.
One of the concerns I've voiced previously about such National Alternate Numbers solutions is that, for the most part, citizens are poor judges of what's an emergency and what's not, at least when they're in the midst of a situation that requires some level of intervention from the public safety system. I once instructed a caller in delivering a baby when he called in on a non-emergency line my PSAP's supervisory position, seeking advice. We've actually had callers say "I don't think this is an emergency, but I see smoke billowing up from behind that warehouse" Imagine that one taking the inbound routing tour of your 3-1-1 call-management system! And there's the time-tested and oft-heard classic, "my brother says his chest hurts and he's having some trouble breathing, but don't come with your lights and siren, it will bother the neighbors..." On the police side, I've also taken calls from people saying "I want to report a noise complaint. My neighbor is beating his wife again. Can you send someone out and tell him to quiet down?" Public perception or what is and what isn't an emergency does not equate with effective public safety.
Especially in a critical area like EMS, allowing a citizen to make the determination as to what constitutes an emergency and what doesn't is simply not a good idea. Often they are already in a state of panic or confusion or something other than nirvana when they dial 9-1-1 (or 3-1-1 or 1-800-WHT-EVER) anyway. I have the same concerns with Managed Health Care's attempts to circumvent the 9-1-1 by suggesting or requiring HMO members dial their 1-800-CallUsFirst instead of 9-1-1. The 9-1-1 Center is staffed (or better be) by professionals trained in telephone triage - whether that's triage of a police, fire, EMS, local utility, or other requests. We're trained in evaluating the call and routing it to the proper resource at the proper level of response (based on locally adopted protocols). I'd rather see 9-1-1 continue to be the triage point for public safety and let professionals handle the call in the appropriate manner for the citizen, who has other things to worry that what number to call for which kind of situation.
But if we are stuck with 3-1-1 or some alternate Alternative Number, then the same kind of public education that is needed for 9-1-1 will have to be given for 3-1-1 to insure the public knows what's appropriate for each number. Otherwise, what happens when 3-1-1 becomes overburdened? 3-1-2 for non emergency crimes against property? 3-1-3 for non emergency crimes against persons? 3-1-4 for non emergency crimes against caged parakeets? Etcetera?
