911 calls that require emergency medical care are directed to a health communication centre. In the health communication centre, the emergency medical dispatcher asks simple questions to determine the urgency of the situation and uses a prioritization system to establish a list for dispatching of ambulance services and first responders.
High priority calls
When the situation is urgent, the call is deemed high priority. The dispatcher contacts paramedics within seconds to rush to the scene of the emergency situation. The dispatcher also contacts the first responder service when there is a first responder service in the municipality concerned.
Lower priority calls
When the dispatcher considers that the life of the person concerned is not in immediate danger, the call is lower priority. Paramedics are informed and drive to the scene. But they may also be reassigned and required to drive to the scene of another emergency if a high priority call is received in the meantime and no other ambulance is available. A person whose condition does not present an immediate danger may have to wait until another ambulance is free.
