Response types - GB,WI

[wotnartd]

What are the different response types, and what do they mean? Are they Location specific, or are they the same everywhere?

Ex: "Ambulance 461 something happened over there, response type 2"

What's that mean, I know some of it refers to the location and which ambulance, but response type 2?

[ltjweiss]

waukesha county also uses something like that but " bravo response" or they use "priority 2". i have always wondered what that code translates to.

[jdm911]

If either of these two jurisdictions are like our local area they are telling the responders how to respond (with either lights and sirens or routine). Response levels are usually determined after questioning using a set of pre-arrival instructions (Emergency Medical Dispatching) or EMD for short. Different EMD instructions, agencies, services, and medical control use different codes for what is basically the same thing. Priority 1, Alpha, or Code 3 are all terms used for a response level of lights and sirens (most severe medical problem or injury). Priority 2, Bravo (or in some cases Charlie), Code 2 would mean a routine response (sick person, non-trauma). Priority 3, Code 1, Delta may something like a patient transfer. There is also an omega response but I can't remember what that means at this moment This type of system was developed basically for the safety of responders and for the public while the responders were en route to a call. As a result of EMD responders are only having to drive at an increased speed when necessary. Also, by using EMD the dispatcher is able to give instruction to the caller while responders are en route. I hope this helps (and more importantly) is the correct answer as again, I am only assuming that this is what GB and Waukesha are doing. Good day

[joedadda2001]

In City of Waukesha the fire department still uses 3 priority levels, Priority 1= Respond lights and siren, Priority 2= can't remember off the top of my head and Priority 3= respond silent. I know the city also adopted the use of the code word response levels like Omega, alpha, bravo, charlie, delta and echo. The same as other fire departments use that are dispatched by Waukesha County Communications (WCC) I know Omega response is the least severe. I have heard this used when a Ambulance is dispatched to a person that fell and just needs help getting back up. The most severe is Echo response which I have heard dispatched for confirmed structure fires, bad motor vehicle accidents and Pulse-less Non Breathers (PNB).

[ltjweiss]

thanks again joedadda2001 and thank you jdm911, your answers gave me a great idea on how the codes and priorities work.

[wotnartd]

Thanks for the response, guys!

[ofd8001]

It sounds like they are using what might be called a "ProQA" Emergency Medical Dispatch system. The call-taker goes thru a querying tree and based on the answers a code is generated. For example a "Stab/Gunshot/Penetrating Trauma-Unconscious or Arrest" would have the ProQA code of 27D01.

That 27D01 is fed into the Computer Aided Dispatch system and the CAD spits out which resources to send. The first two digits is a general category/type of call. The letter (A, B, C, D, E & O) are the levels of "seriousness" with, as stated above, D is bad and E is real bad. O or omega in some services means a no response, such as an obvious DOA.