EMS "Alpha Response"

[W8RMH]

EMS "Alpha" Response

Recently I have heard on Jackson Twp. / Pleasant Twp. fire dispatch (Grove City) some EMS runs being dispatched as an "Alpha" Response.

I don't recall ever hearing this term before. At first I though it might mean "Alone" [Alpha] without a first-responder or engine, but I've heard it used on multi-unit runs too.

Any Ideas?

 

[krokus]

It could an ALS call, or indicating a priority.

 

[wa2chj]

In many parts of the country, the Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, and sometimes Echo designators are used by the dispatching agaency to designate a level of response.
Alpha is usually respond with traffic - no lights or siren.
Bravo is the same, but slightly higher urgency (no bathroom breaks enroute!)
Charlie is lights and siren, but lowest level of emergency
Delta is very high priority (cardiac arrest, vehicle entrapment, major trauma, etc.)
Echo is kind of a local option. Can be MCI, etc.

CT-EMT-P-CC, ERT, Flight Paramedic

 

[wa8pyr]

In many parts of the country, the Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, and sometimes Echo designators are used by the dispatching agaency to designate a level of response.
Alpha is usually respond with traffic - no lights or siren.
Bravo is the same, but slightly higher urgency (no bathroom breaks enroute!)
Charlie is lights and siren, but lowest level of emergency
Delta is very high priority (cardiac arrest, vehicle entrapment, major trauma, etc.)
Echo is kind of a local option. Can be MCI, etc.

I don't think that's it, at least around here. Standard terminology here is Signal E (emergency) or Signal X (non-emergency), in which case it usually gets dispatched as a service run.

However, a few agencies hereabouts have gradually started migrating to the "blue card" system of incident response/command. I've had a familiarization course but don't recall the details off the top of my head, so it could be related to blue card.

The OP mentioned hearing "Alpha" for multi-unit responses, so I think Alpha as a non-emergency response fairly unlikely.

 

[wa2chj]

There are so many different "signals" and "codes" used throughout the country, you can't tell the players without a scorecard. In CT, towns next to eachother use vastly different systems, so anything is possible for the meaning of the "Alpha" cited above. I wouldn't discount non-emergency just because it was a multi-unit response as there are many reasons for multi-unit responses to be non-emergency. Lift assists and minor spills come to mind, as do the ever popular "I've fallen and I can't get up" call where there is no injury, but may require forced entry.
Still, only someone familiar with that jurisdiction can answer for sure.

 

[APX8000]

Many dispatch centers that provide medical instructions or "EMD" instructions to callers code calls based on a priority system. The "Alpha" designation is for non-priority calls and many have started using the "Alpha response" terminology over the radio.

This thread shows how the codes are broken down:
http://forums.radioreference.com/north-carolina-radio-discussion-forum/28714-emd-codes.html

Obviously without knowing the actual protocols in that jurisdiction, I'm speculating.

 

[millrad]

EMS resposne codes based on Priority Dispatch Company

The majority of EMS dispatch agencies use protocol written by Priority Dispatch Company of Salt lake City, founded by Dr. Jeffrey Clawson many years ago.

Here's the link
:Priority Dispatch Corporation

They use a medical flip card system broken into 33 catagories, which assigns an escalating Alpha through Echo response to each call. Alpha indicated low priority (cold response) BLS, Bravo is higher priority (hot response) BLS, Charlie and Delta are both ALS responses, and "Echo" is reserved for very high priority responses such as cardiac arrest, drowning and hanging calls.
The number given before the letter indicates which medical catagory the call falls into, i.e. "17-A-1" would be a low priority fall; 6-D-1 would be a high priority difficulty breathing call.

Here in CT, the use of EMD (Emergency Medical Dispatch) became mandated by law a few years ago, forcing many smaller 911 centers to outsource their medical calls, because they chose not to send their staff for EMD certification.

 

[dispatcher812]

In many parts of the country, the Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, and sometimes Echo designators are used by the dispatching agaency to designate a level of response.
Alpha is usually respond with traffic - no lights or siren.
Bravo is the same, but slightly higher urgency (no bathroom breaks enroute!)
Charlie is lights and siren, but lowest level of emergency
Delta is very high priority (cardiac arrest, vehicle entrapment, major trauma, etc.)
Echo is kind of a local option. Can be MCI, etc.

CT-EMT-P-CC, ERT, Flight Paramedic

That actually is it. Each service can adjust the levels for different responses. I am a dispatcher that uses this. It is from the National Academies Of Emergency Dispatch. It is an EMD system, that in my case, is for Medical calls. The NAED also has fire and police EMD as well. For instance ours is a follows,

Alpha: usually a bls call. may be with or with out lights and sirens. No FD response
Bravo: Same as above but certain calls will code with fire depending on the nature of call.
Charlie: ALS again depending on the nature and how the questions are answered by the caller.
Delta: ALS, higher response level with FD chest pain diff breathing priority symptoms
Echo: Is usually the repsonse for cardiac arrest. An echo in the program means, say if you were a lone dispatcher and had an echo response, you would put the caller on hold, ( yes you can put 911 on hold) dispatch your ambulance FD or whatever, then go back and finish the set of questions.

There is another level that can be used , I know Los Angelas uses it called Omega. What that is say a pt calls 911 for the flu with no priority symptoms, or even a maturity pt waters not broken no real contractions, it can refer them to their local doctors, or to a different number, or some have it set with a local taxi service to go pick up the pt.

 

[wa8pyr]

That actually is it. Each service can adjust the levels for different responses. I am a dispatcher that uses this. It is from the National Academies Of Emergency Dispatch. It is an EMD system, that in my case, is for Medical calls. The NAED also has fire and police EMD as well.

What you describe may be the case in Connecticut, but it may not be for this area. If they're using such a system, it would be an extremely dramatic departure from standard operating procedure for fire departments in Central Ohio (there is no separate municipal EMS around here, it's all run by the FD).

I work in public safety and am checking with my local contacts to see what's up.

 

[W8RMH]

What you describe may be the case in Connecticut, but it may not be for this area. If they're using such a system, it would be an extremely dramatic departure from standard operating procedure for fire departments in Central Ohio (there is no separate municipal EMS around here, it's all run by the FD).

I work in public safety and am checking with my local contacts to see what's up.

Thank you Tom for any assistance you can provide and your opinion is always welcome.

I started in Fire/EMS/LE in the the early 70s, in both Ohio and Kentucky, and I now monitor a lot of public safety comms both locally and online and this is a new one on me.

I don't think it is priority related because I've heard it used anywhere from a sprained ankle to chest pains and difficulty breathing.

I know how procedures vary across the country. This is why I posted this in the Ohio Forum to avoid unrelated replies from other regions. I was mainly inquiring of other local listeners.

 

[n8dhw]

Clermont County uses that type of Priority system when they dispatch fire and ems runs.

 

[W8RMH]

Clermont County uses that type of Priority system when they dispatch fire and ems runs.

Thanks, but do you know what it means?

 

[tk000]

An "Alpha Response" is a response without lights and sirens. Jackson Twp has recently implemented the new "Alpha Response" procedure for runs that are determined to be low severity based on the complaint type and answers given by the caller to specific questions. If additional information is gathered after the initial dispatch, the run can be upgraded to include lights and sirens as necessary. So it's essentially like the "Signal X" response utilized by other companies in Central Ohio.

 

[W8RMH]

An "Alpha Response" is a response without lights and sirens. Jackson Twp has recently implemented the new "Alpha Response" procedure for runs that are determined to be low severity based on the complaint type and answers given by the caller to specific questions. If additional information is gathered after the initial dispatch, the run can be upgraded to include lights and sirens as necessary. So it's essentially like the "Signal X" response utilized by other companies in Central Ohio.

I thought that might be what it was.

Thank you for your reply, and your feed.