911 system now alerts fire stations - Medical emergency responses get faster - 08/22/02 - By Paul Rioux - St. Tammany bureau/The Times-Picayune
St. Tammany officials Wednesday announced improvements to the parish's 911 system that they hope will save lives by reducing response times to medical emergencies.
A new software program called Quick-Send allows 911 operators to push a button that instantly transmits information about car crashes and other emergencies to fire department dispatch centers, said Larry Hess, parish superintendent of fire services.
In the past, operators would transfer 911 calls regarding medical emergencies to an ambulance service. The operator would monitor the conversation between the ambulance dispatcher and the caller, but no one had a responsibility or the means to immediately notify firefighters, Hess said.
"There was often a delay of several minutes before someone called the fire department," he said. "Sometimes the ambulance crew would already be loading the patient by the time the fire trucks arrived."
Hess said that should change under the new system implemented Tuesday afternoon by the parish's 911 board. The software sends information about the location and nature of medical emergencies to computer screens in fire department dispatch centers in Slidell and Covington, where dispatchers can alert the nearest fire station.
Officials said quick notification is critical because with fire stations located throughout the parish, firefighters are often able to arrive on the scene before ambulance crews.
"This new system may decrease emergency medical response times by three to eight minutes," Parish President Kevin Davis said. "Every minute is precious in emergency situations."
The new system won't affect fire calls, which already are transferred immediately to the fire department dispatch centers, Hess said.
The software went online Tuesday at 2:15 p.m., and the first 911 call came 53 minutes later when a Slidell woman was stung by wasps, Hess said.
"Everything went smoothly, and she got help within a couple of minutes," he said. "The system has been outstanding so far. We haven't had any glitches."
Hess said he did not have information on hand Wednesday about how much the system costs.
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