Definition
EMS 911 Calls Received: This is a count of how many 911 calls are answered by the EMS 911 emergency communications center. This includes calls that are transferred from a 911 Primary Public Safety Access Point (PSAP). A Primary PSAP is the center where a 911 call is first answered. In our community, the Primary PSAP transfers EMS calls to the EMS Secondary PSAP that is operated and managed by the EMS Department. Sometimes multiple calls are received for the same incident. For example, a motor vehicle crash on a busy intersection may result in numerous calls to 911. Each of these calls is included in this count. This definition excludes requests for assistance from other public safety agencies, such as law enforcement or fire agencies and non-911 calls received on administrative phone lines.
Why is this important?
911 Calls: This is the first interaction a citizen, bystander or family member has with EMS. Basic information about the incident is obtained. EMS Communication Medics gather the information necessary to dispatch EMS resources to the right location and then provide important life saving instructions while an ambulance is responding to the incident. Knowing the number of calls that we answer in our EMS Communications Center helps us make sure we have enough staff available to answer 911 calls in 10 seconds or less 98% of the time and to plan for future needs.
The 911 Call measure relates to our Strategic Goals for Service and Finance, S1, S2, S3, F2, and F3:
S1: To be an organization that strives to improve the lives of people in our community.
S2: To have a service delivery model that best serves the needs of our community.
S3: To be an organization that puts service before self.
F2: To be an organization that provides value to the community.
F3: To provide quality cost efficient service to the community.
Click here to view our strategic goals (PDF)