Police response to EMS calls

DrParasite

DrParasite

The fire extinguisher is not just for show
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Simple question, what calls do you get a PD unit to respond for?

We get PD dispatched for the following calls:
any reported unconscious
any cardiac arrest/DOA
any assault in progress (assaults typically get an EMS response, unless the assaulter is still on scene)
any penetrating trauma
any MVA where traffic control is needed or a stolen vehicle is involved, or if it's a potentially fatal MVA
any violent EDP (non-violent EDPs get an EMS response, and a PD when one becomes available)

our PD does not do first response, they are only there for LEO stuff.

I thought this was pretty much standard for everywhere, but recent threads how shown me otherwise.
 
Around here, police respond to pretty much every 911 call. I am hoping to become a police officer, and from what I'veheard/seen a lot of other places do the same.
 
Depends what city I'm in...
 
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They automatically respond on:

Major MVAs
Assaults in progress
Violent Psychs


They might show up eventually at minor MVAs or post assaults. Depending on how busy they are they may end up meeting the patient at the hospital instead. If we want them for something else we have to cal them.
 
Automatic:
the injuries from crimes already mentioned
all MVAs (but EMS/fire only go when injuries are confirmed or other circumstances like rollover or vs building)
all OD/poisoning calls - even those claimed to be unintentional.
All suicidal parties.
Cardiac arrest
Man down (basically unconscious or severely altered in public with no immediately known reason)

At our discretion:
psych calls. Depends on situation. I usually don't send PD to facilities because of the availability of trained hands on scene but usually do send them otherwise.
Anything fishy, especially with kids, elderly or significant others involved. Had a two year old with completely unexplained vaginal bleeding, for example. PD went.
 
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In my station in PA, they get dispatched to around 3/4 of our calls, in fact, I think it might be any that do not originate at a health care facility like a nursing home. They don't do first response, they do traffic control, make sure the scene is secure, etc.

In MD, we get the police on any overdose call or when drug use is suspected, any cardiac arrest for first response CPR, all MVCs for traffic control, emotional disorders, and any violent injury like assaults, stabbings and GSWs. Or when we call, obviously.
 
I'm just curious... those who say PD respond on most of their calls... do you think this is beneficial? From what I'm reading these are mostly low-population areas. What is the purpose of having PD run on most medical calls? Just wondering if you think this helps patients or not.

I come from an urban area, where PD resources are stretched to the brink and many of our patients hate cops. It seems like this is a different world from the the smaller rural areas some of you are coming from.
 
LucidResq said:
I'm just curious... those who say PD respond on most of their calls... do you think this is beneficial? From what I'm reading these are mostly low-population areas. What is the purpose of having PD run on most medical calls? Just wondering if you think this helps patients or not.

I come from an urban area, where PD resources are stretched to the brink and many of our patients hate cops. It seems like this is a different world from the the smaller rural areas some of you are coming from.
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Both good and bad.

Good because when they are on a scene it's usually alot safer for us. They are good at making sure no one steals our ambulance (yes that has happened). And they are good for crowd control.

Bad because our officers like to get in the way alot. No one wants to tell the truth when there is a cop there. They ask us 5 million times if we should be transporting them. They like to make us wait on scene while they talk to the patient. Did I mention they like to block the ambulance in so we can't move?
 
We get PD on the following:
  • any weapons or assault call
  • The "man down" calls
  • Domestic Violence
  • ODs
  • MVAs
We can also get 'em when we need assistance with traffic, crowds or unruly family members. However, the cops where I work primary 911 are so busy that we can wait upwards of 45 minutes for a "routine" officer request. Of course, if we need them to expedite, we just say the magic words on the radio and every cop within 10 miles comes screaming in.

We have a great working relationship with the LEOs in my city... they know we don't request them unless we really need them.
 
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HotelCo said:
Depends what city I'm in...
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ok, so in the big city, when do they come, and in the little city when do they come?
LucidResq said:
I'm just curious... those who say PD respond on most of their calls... do you think this is beneficial? From what I'm reading these are mostly low-population areas. What is the purpose of having PD run on most medical calls? Just wondering if you think this helps patients or not.
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I work part time in a small urban city part time, about 50,000 people in a little over 5+ sq miles. we get PD for the calls listed above, not for most (although one night time officer did say they send an officer, usually him, on all calls, but I have yet to see it). Sometimes they get patient information, but usually they just stare at the patient, and maybe give an update on the patient's condition.
LucidResq said:
I come from an urban area, where PD resources are stretched to the brink and many of our patients hate cops. It seems like this is a different world from the the smaller rural areas some of you are coming from.
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my FT job is like that. PD doesn't have enough units, so an ambulance is often sent before the cops (esp if no cops are available). So while some of the population hate cops, I do still want cops there for my safety, regardless of if the locals want them there or not.

One side story: was working an OT shift in the suburbs one day, in an area that bordered the not so nice city next door. we got dispatched to a diff breather call, and our local PD first responder (we have one dedicated officer whose primary job is emergency operations and assisting FD and EMS), arrived first and had her on oxygen before we got there. Anyways, we treated and while we were treating her, the brother of the patient started being annoying and generally banging on the door of the ambulance to get information that was not time critical to us treating his sister.

After the patient was transported, I made the joke to the officer "next time that happens, can you just shoot the guy?" his response "absolutely not. her house, and the house next door, are occupied with known gang members. if I shoot, they are gonna shoot back, and I am definitely out gunned." he then told me had just sat down for his lunch break, heard the address and hustled over to the location because he knew who lived there. Not saying anything would have happened, but sometimes having someone else there who knows the people (and their criminal history) can help ensure that everyone behaves.
 
With the campus EMS I ride with...
-Potential Substance Abuse
-Potential for violent actions causing the injury (Ie broken/lacerated hands; assault injuries)
-MVAs
-EDPs

Sometimes UPD will stop by to see if we need help moving the patient, etc. They're a great resource and 9/10 the students are cool with their presence, our campus is very fortunate to have an awesome group of cops working with us.

With the other agencies I ride with, generally MVAs, EDPs, and assaults. Otherwise we have to request to get a presence.
 
From when I worked EMS in the county of El Paso, TX SO responded to just about every call, at times it was quite beneficial and others they were more of a hindrance than of assistance. A vast majority of the time it depended on what deputy responded, some were more than willing to help with the more mundane of tasks and others would stand out side their vehicles looking at you. The most beneficial aspect of having LE on scene is in El Paso we have a lot of patients who develop HMS/HP and LE is very good about dealing with them and family members as it is quite contagious. Though in retrospect 90% of the time SO was at the very least not of any issue.
 
DrParasite said:
ok, so in the big city, when do they come, and in the little city when do they come?
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Detroit: I've never had them on scene.

Suburbs: Everytime.

The only time I've had PD on scene in Detroit is on the freeway, and that's not DPD, it's the Michigan State Police.
 
HotelCo said:
Detroit: I've never had them on scene.
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So you go to violent EDPs without PD on scene? what about shootings/stabbings when the actors are still attacking? Or assaults in progress?

Our dispatchers are pretty good, when one of these calls come in, we tell them (EMS dispatch tells PD dispatch) to give us a call when they have a unit on scene (and the caller has to wait until the scene is secure for an EMS unit to respond), and once the PD unit arrives on scene, they don't leave until EMS arrives. if it takes 10 minutes, 30 minutes, or an hour, so be it, PD is trained to handle those types of calls, once they determine it's safe, and only then, will EMS respond.

Otherwise, it seems like an easy way for EMS to get hurt because PD isn't doing their job.
 
It varies from town to town here. Where I used to work FT BLS, an officer was sent on any ALS call. BLS calls were just us. Where i'm working now, we get an officer on everything.

In another more urban city in our coverage area, we only get PD on domestic-related calls, or psych's.
 
DrParasite said:
So you go to violent EDPs without PD on scene? what about shootings/stabbings when the actors are still attacking? Or assaults in progress?
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It doesn't get dispatched that way. They come across as just a trauma.
 
HotelCo said:
It doesn't get dispatched that way. They come across as just a trauma.
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Yep. We get "unknown medical aid" "unknown type trauma". Highway patrol gets the 9-1-1 call (if from a cell phone). Then Highway Patrol transfers the call to fire. Fire tones out their units and also send the info thru computer to EMS. All the info fire and EMS get is just basically an address or general location, time of the call, call number, and about one word on the call type.
 
HotelCo said:
It doesn't get dispatched that way. They come across as just a trauma.
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Damn.... that's scary.... I actually want to know what I'm getting myself into before I walk in the door, especially if I might get hurt as a result of the situation.

But that's just me
 
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