Werner walks through overflow call handling when no call taker is available
Ariola asks step by step what happens when no EMS call taker is available. Werner says NYPD releases the call to an EMS overflow position with a code, and the call taker enters the incident based on that code; if no call taker is available, it still goes to overflow.
Okay, so I want to go back to you, Chief Werner.
Step by step, what happens when no EMS caller is available and a call comes in and it's taken?
PD will release the call to our overflow position, which we refer to as relay.
It will come with a code.
And there's a call taker seated there that manages that work.
And they will put the job into the system, the incident into the system based on the code.
Okay, and if the call taker is unavailable?
At the time that this incident occurred?
At any time, if a call taker is not available.
Any time there is not a call taker available, correct.
It goes to the overflow position.
It goes to the overflow, and then it goes to low acuity, right, number five.
Not always.
Or highest of low acuity.
It could be higher.
No, it could be a higher acuity.
It depends on PD interviews the caller first.
They get the address, the borough, and they ask what's the emergency.
And that information is transcribed into what they categorize their code as.
Some of them are pretty broad.
There could be multiple things occurring that it would take that type of code.
They need that code to enter the system.
They need that code to enter it to us.
And then we take that code and we have a list of what each code represents.
And that's how we acquire the unknown call type.
And how long does it usually take for an unknown to get properly categorized?
As soon as it hits their terminal, they can have it categorized within 30 seconds.
It's not...
Right, but we may not have...
have an ambulance to respond.
Well, once we entered into the system from the call-taking perspective, then it gets sent immediately to a dispatcher.
Right.