I think repeating your information over and over until someone arrives would work! Just remember to give the whole address and as much information as possible about what is wrong - and tell the call taker that you're deaf otherwise they'll wonder why on earth you are repeating yourself! Obviously, there are occasions when "following the commandments" is going to be impossible and call takers understand that - that post was aimed at people who don't know what to do, not people who have a disability or something else standing in the way of them making a "perfect" call.
Our techs don't cannulate. You'd probably be better off asking one of them for the full list of drugs they can give - try Tom Reynolds at
<a href="http://www.randomreality.blogware.com?" target="_blank">http://www.randomreality.blogware.com?
Hi Lizzie, IS YOUR CAPS LOCK BROKEN? Ambulances don't leave for hospital straight away because they need to do observations and give treatment and they can't do that and drive at the same time! The ambulance isn't just there to get people to hospital quickly - the patient needs seeing to straight away. Occasionally (for instance for babies not breathing and severe accidents), the crew decide that getting to hospital quickly is more important than treating the patient at the scene, and then they do zoom straight off, but that's the exception.
If your mobile is registered to your address, then yes, the mobile phone company would be able to give us your address. We can tell your rough location (within about half a mile usually) from the signal but not enough to work out exactly where you are if you're at a home address.
Wow, even I haven't got a copy yet! Glad you enjoyed it!
I hate NYE, I'd much rather work Christmas. If it were a choice between the two I'd gladly swap, but I have no choice as I was rostered for both this year! All those drunks and similar sounding calls and patients who have staggered off by the time the ambulance arrives... it does my head in. This is the third NYE I will have worked in a row. Thank god, I am off next year, and let me tell you I won't be working even if they offer me a MILLION BILLION pounds to go in on overtime.
I was a call taker once and I agree - it's definitely the most stressful job in the control room. I did enjoy it but by the time I was promoted I definitely felt I'd done my time and I wouldn't go back to it now!
Joe doesn't have a blog. I'd love to read it if he did!
You CAN get to management without having done the desk OR working on a truck. We have managers who've never done either.
See above for full explanation of the "strokes are amber" logic. A stroke patient who is showing signs of imminent arrest WOULD be a red. And yes, I can totally see why Mr Reynolds is annoyed, but I think that incident was down to teething problems and shouldn't happen again. If it does I will have something to say about it.