Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Stepping Stones Day Care Gets Certified
Staff members of Stepping Stones Day Care were recently certified in CPR for adults, children and infants as well as Pediatric First Aid and operation of the Automated External Defibrillator AED. We had a discussion about how an emegency call gets processed and the 911 addressing system, talked about the importance of organ donation. We also spoke about a possible field trip to the local ambulance service in the spring or summer to introduce the children to the EMTs and the inside of the ambulance.
Friday, January 2, 2009
911 Addressing - Location Identification and How It Works
Can we find you in an emergency? With the E-911 Addressing system, we can more easily find you when you call for an emergency, however 911 is helpful to all of us in everyday life if you know how to use it. Let me explain how it works. Let's say, you are staying with relatives over the holidays. Grandpa gives a sigh and you hear him drop to the floor in the other room. Someone yells, "Quick, someone call 911!".
You go to the phone in the kitchen and press 9-1-1. Your hear a dispatcher on the other end, pick up and say,"9-1-1, what is your emergency?". You say immediately, "We need an ambulance! My grandfather has passed out! Hurry!." (Think about this for a minute, remember over the holidays, the friends and relatives that you visited? Do you know the EXACT street address where they live? Could you tell the police, fire dept or EMS the location to respond to? Because of the establishment of the 911 addressing system, you no longer have to. It's already done for you.
This is how it works. When you pick up the phone and dial 911, the call goes directly to a Personal Service Answering Point (PSAP - pronounced: pee'-sap). Traditionally, these are at State Police Stations around the State. When your call comes in, your physical address of that property shows up directly on their computer screen. The name of the property owner, the street and town along with the phone number you are calling from. (Back in the old days, the calls went to the local departments and you could say, "We're at the Smith Farm, up behind the
Clark's sugarhouse." Nowadays, the calls go to the State Police Dispatcher, if their lines are tied up, the call automatically bounces to another State Police Barracks location which is not near here, if they are busy, it might even bounce to another state.) SO back to your incoming call the dispatcher has just answered.
Above your information of their screen are three buttons for emergency response: POLICE, FIRE DEPT, and EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES. While the dispatcher is taking your information they can touch the buttons of the services you will need and their dispatchers come on the line and listen to the remainder of the call. A dispatcher will stay on the line with you until the requested service arrives.
This is how we find you. Every town that has adopted 911 adressing has done mapping in their town to pinpoint your exact location. Your street or road has been calculated in mile lengths and each of those miles has been divided into 1000 increments. So let's say you are located at 1567 Apple Mountain Road. We now know that you are 1.567 miles up Apple Mountain Road and you are on the left. (Odd numbers are on the left, even numbers are on the right. See how much easier that is going to be to find you in the darkness of night?). The only thing the responding agency needs to know is where the road numbering begins, or they simply look as they drive to see if the numbers are going up or down.
NOW, how are we sure we have the right house? By the number you have posted on the house or at the driveway. Think about your house number, where it is right now. Could we see it as we approach or drive by? Could we see it easily at night? What we like best is numerals that are at least 4 1/2 inches tall, if they illuminate with a headlight hitting them, that is even better. Are they above the snow line in states that have tall snowbanks in winter. If we can't see the house from the end of the driveway, is your number on a post at the corner? Can it be seen from both directions?
This is how we find you in an emegergency. Do a little test and look to see if your friends and family are well marked so we can find them in a emergent situation. If someone is choking, someone's house is on fire or someone is in danger, time is of the essence. Help us help you.
You go to the phone in the kitchen and press 9-1-1. Your hear a dispatcher on the other end, pick up and say,"9-1-1, what is your emergency?". You say immediately, "We need an ambulance! My grandfather has passed out! Hurry!." (Think about this for a minute, remember over the holidays, the friends and relatives that you visited? Do you know the EXACT street address where they live? Could you tell the police, fire dept or EMS the location to respond to? Because of the establishment of the 911 addressing system, you no longer have to. It's already done for you.
This is how it works. When you pick up the phone and dial 911, the call goes directly to a Personal Service Answering Point (PSAP - pronounced: pee'-sap). Traditionally, these are at State Police Stations around the State. When your call comes in, your physical address of that property shows up directly on their computer screen. The name of the property owner, the street and town along with the phone number you are calling from. (Back in the old days, the calls went to the local departments and you could say, "We're at the Smith Farm, up behind the
Clark's sugarhouse." Nowadays, the calls go to the State Police Dispatcher, if their lines are tied up, the call automatically bounces to another State Police Barracks location which is not near here, if they are busy, it might even bounce to another state.) SO back to your incoming call the dispatcher has just answered.
Above your information of their screen are three buttons for emergency response: POLICE, FIRE DEPT, and EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES. While the dispatcher is taking your information they can touch the buttons of the services you will need and their dispatchers come on the line and listen to the remainder of the call. A dispatcher will stay on the line with you until the requested service arrives.
This is how we find you. Every town that has adopted 911 adressing has done mapping in their town to pinpoint your exact location. Your street or road has been calculated in mile lengths and each of those miles has been divided into 1000 increments. So let's say you are located at 1567 Apple Mountain Road. We now know that you are 1.567 miles up Apple Mountain Road and you are on the left. (Odd numbers are on the left, even numbers are on the right. See how much easier that is going to be to find you in the darkness of night?). The only thing the responding agency needs to know is where the road numbering begins, or they simply look as they drive to see if the numbers are going up or down.
NOW, how are we sure we have the right house? By the number you have posted on the house or at the driveway. Think about your house number, where it is right now. Could we see it as we approach or drive by? Could we see it easily at night? What we like best is numerals that are at least 4 1/2 inches tall, if they illuminate with a headlight hitting them, that is even better. Are they above the snow line in states that have tall snowbanks in winter. If we can't see the house from the end of the driveway, is your number on a post at the corner? Can it be seen from both directions?
This is how we find you in an emegergency. Do a little test and look to see if your friends and family are well marked so we can find them in a emergent situation. If someone is choking, someone's house is on fire or someone is in danger, time is of the essence. Help us help you.
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