Currituck Executes EMD Protocols Over Text with Deaf Caller

Medical emergencies can be amongst the most chaotic calls that telecommunicators receive each day. Emergency medical dispatch (EMD) protocols help ensure that each call is handled in accordance with a universal standard, regardless of the type of emergency, as field responders approach the scene.

But what happens if the caller can’t verbalize their emergency or hear the telecommunicator’s questions? Texts to 911 accounted for just .25% of the outreach to 911 in the last year of available statistics and only 40% of ECCs say they have the ability to receive text. For those who are deaf, non-verbal, or cannot speak as a result of their emergency, this creates a significant barrier to communicating with emergency services.

Recently, Brandi Leary, a telecommunicator with Currituck County Communications (NC), received a call from a man speaking very loudly about a female in respiratory distress. As she tried to confirm the address, the man verbalized that he was deaf and unable to hear her.

“Prepared [Assist] is so much easier than initiating [legacy technology] on our phone,” said Brandi when asked about the experience, “Using [Assist] allows me to keep my phone open as well, so I can do both at the same time.”

Thinking quickly, Brandi sent the caller a text message using Prepared Assist, asking if he’d be able to answer questions via text and explaining that EMS had been dispatched. From there, she followed standard EMD protocol over text, providing crucial pre-arrival instructions and gaining critical information for field responders.

“Prepared [Assist] is so much easier than initiating [legacy technology] on our phone,” said Brandi when asked about the experience, “Using [Assist] allows me to keep my phone open as well, so I can do both at the same time.”

On the same day, Brandi used the platform to receive a picture of a shoplifter from a storeowner, rather than relying on a verbal suspect description, and was able to instantly pass the image to police deputies. The day before, she’d used it to help execute a welfare check on a teenager.

“It’s not just, ‘oh, let’s see that driver on the road,’ or things of that sort,” she says, “It’s a much broader tool.”

—

We thank Brandi for her exceptional service to the Currituck community and command her continued outstanding work!

If you’d like to learn more about bringing this technology to your agency, reach out to us!