Hospitals and Ambulances Can Now Talk To Each Other

Rickey Stokes

Viewed: 1665

Posted by: RStokes
Date: Jan 20 2012 11:26 PM

DOTHAN – HOUSTON COUNTY:  Today this was a wreck on Third Avenue and Sanders Road. Three persons were transported from the scene, two of which were classified as “trauma alert”.

 

While the Dothan Fire units were on the scene Batallion Chief Keith Gassiter instructed communications to notify SAMC they were transporting two persons with trauma alert.

 

Very shortly SAMC Emergency Department was on the Dothan Fire primary talking to Batallion Chief Gassiter obtaining additional information to make sure they were prepared to handle both trauma patients.

 

Recently, on a Saturday night emergency units rolled to SAMC with two patients that were critical and CPR in progress. One was a child from Grand Villa Trailer Park and one was a wreck victim from Highway 203 and 109.

 

The point being, today SAMC was able to communicate directly with the Fire Medics to obtain critical information. Information so they were prepared and all systems was go when the patients hit the door.

 

Under Dothan Fire Chief Larry Williams administration he has made sure radios were in place in both the Emergency Departments of Flowers Hospital and SAMC. Chief Williams has also made sure Pilcher’s and the other local ambulance service were equipped with radios to talk with Dothan Fire and the communications center while responding to emergencies. They have proved to be a great asset and to save lives.

 

Chief Williams has worked to make all Houston County Volunteer Fire Engines and Rescue units have Dothan radios available. Williams wants the departments to have the same ability to talk to Dothan Fire should mutual aid assistance be needed. Williams also wants the Houston County EMS units to be able to talk with the hospitals should it be required.

 

Chief Williams is of the mindset, we are all in this together. The same common goal – for the best of the patients.

 

Sheriff Andy Hughes

 

Houston County Sheriff Andy Hughes purchased mobile radios to be installed in the Alabama State Trooper vehicles assigned to Houston County.

 

Sheriff Hughes has also made sure that Ashford Police patrol units are equipped with Houston County Sheriff radios to be able to talk with Sheriff Deputies when the need arises.

 

Sheriff Hughes has given Dothan Police a Sheriff radio. This radio is being installed where the Dothan Police units can monitor the Sheriff as the radio transmissions are simulcast.

Jackson County Sheriff Lou Roberts

 

Following the recent ban robbery chase into Florida, Jackson County Sheriff Lou Roberts hosted a meeting of agencies along the 231 corridor to Bay County Florida. The purpose was to discuss and solve interagency communications for emergencies. It is often the agencies work together on cases and in emergencies.

 

Where Does It All Begin?

 

It all begins with communications. While a lot of law enforcement administrators are not concerned with communications as they should, all starts in the communications.

 

Communication Officers have the first contact with the caller. Their job is to calm the caller, get as much information as possible to give to responding emergency units, and to step the caller through what is needed to handle and contain the problem until emergency units arrive.

 

But for the communications officers to communicate, adequate systems have to be established. Over the years the wise people in control have done more the screw up the inter-agency communications than to solve them. And with today’s technology, those not solving it should be fired and their retirement stopped.

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