Morgan County VFD EMS question

[Scanner_Rider]

Our VFD EMS has been plain language as long as I can remember, however over the past few months , I have noticed they are now using alphabetic designations from A to E with EMS dispatches.

From what I have heard I can't tell if the letters indicate age of the patient needing an EMT , severity or a combination of both . All I have noticed is A seems less priority than a B or C and on some D calls the dispatch sometimes will say CPR is not being performed or the person is not breathing and cold to the touch and maybe D means deceased but an EMT still must verify.

The two dispatches to addresses of neighbors of my mother's place were called out as a A but both had to go to the hospital by ambulance for a hospital stay.

Does anyone in Morgan County know more about this A to E call out tag or is it a hospital protected designation?

 

[KG4DRF]

It is what they use in place of code 1(no lights or sirens) 2(lights with no sirens) & 3(lights & sirens on). Was confusing when they 1st started using it last year and still can be at times. Will send you communication letter on the only discrepancy I have noticed with them over it.

 

[morganAL]

Those are severity level codes as assigned by Priority Dispatch as a part of the Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) protocol. When a 911 call is received and the calltaker determines it is a medical call, another window pops up in the CAD system and the calltaker goes through a list of questions and the answers determine the type of call and the severity. D & E are the most severe and patients not breathing, CPR in Progress, or obvious death are classified with these.

 

[Scanner_Rider]

Thanks to both of you. That helps clear it up. Although my main desire in monitoring Fire Dispatch is for fire risk , when I hear our EMTs called out to an address of someone I know or close to them late at night I have found myself wondering how bad it was but didn't want to call in the middle of the night regardless. As long as I don't hear a D or E , I can figure I will see them again .