Oswego County EMS Communication Procedures

1. Oswego County EMS Oswego County EMS Communication Procedures

2. Purpose of this training • Present the EMS Communications procedures to the users

3. Important principle • The current version of the procedures is expected to be followed. In other words, not following procedures is not an option • If anyone has suggestions for improvements, please send them to the EMS Coordinator. This should be done via email (jjones@oswegocounty.com)

4. Why are we doing this? • To effectively communicate • Make maximum use of the new radio system • Comply with current national communications practices (National Interoperability Field Operations Guide) • Minimize the burden on the 911 Center

5. Training process • All EMS providers shall • Receive a copy of the • Oswego County EMS Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) • Radio System EMS Operator Aid • Read, understand and comply with the SOP • Begin using the procedures on 23 July 2012 • Attendance roster and affirmation shall be signed

6. General Radio Use • Please read the section • Essential points • Keep your messages short and to the point • Eliminate useless words and unneeded transmissions • Have a portable and pager with you always • Use the standardized terminology in the procedures

7. General Radio Use • Each crew should ALWAYS • Have a portable with them and turned ON • Have a pager with them and turned ON • Before asking dispatch to repeat the address, nature or priority, hit the repeat button on the pager

8. General Radio Use • Use • Responding • Arrived • Available • Out of service • Priority • Non-priority • Don’t use • Enroute • On scene or On location • In service • Clear • In quarters • Off the air • At this time • When prepared • Be advised • Come on the air for

9. Talkgroups and their uses • If in doubt, refer to the procedure or Operator Aid

10. 1. EMS Incident Dispatch • Please read the section • Points • Validate dispatch information using the pager • When stating “Responding”, also state where you are responding to (that is, the address you were dispatched to) • Example: McFee 4 responding to 120 North Street, Mexico

11. 2. EMS Unit Response to Minor Incidents • Please read the section • Points • Use Ops 3 unless a Fireground has been assigned

12. 3. EMS Unit Response to Major Incidents • Please read the section • Points • First EMS unit on the scene ALWAYS assumes EMS sector command • Incident Command is required to be informed of all resource requests (ambulances or helicopters for example) • Major incident = 3 or more ambulances, or 2 or more fire agencies • Use assigned fireground or talkgroup

13. 4. EMS Response to an MCI • Please read the section • Points • Use the MCI plan • First EMS unit on the scene ALWAYS assumes EMS sector command • Use OPS 4 or 5 (network talkgroups) to coordinate incoming EMS units • Use EMS Talk 6 or 7 (Non network talk groups) to talk to EMS units on scene

14. 5. Patient reports to hospitals • Please read section • Points • Primary for Oswego Hospital is OswED talkgroup. Secondary is 155.340 • Med Channels are available on the County radios • Clearance through Oswego 911 to Syracuse • Use OPS 5 • ONLY for stable patients and no physicians orders needed • Sex and age • Chief complaint • ETA • Nothing else (no hx, no VS, no “VS are stable”) • If you think you need to relate additional info, then you need to call the ED

15. 6. Coordination with other agencies • Please read section • Points • For contacting other, non-Fire agencies (Law or Highway for example) • Use CW16 • Example: If you are staging waiting for Law, call on CW 16 “North Shore 1 to the Law unit enroute to Salt Road” • To talk to another ambulance for any reason, go to OPS 3 or OPS 4 • Call the other ambulance on EMS Dispatch • Tell them to go to OPS 3 or 4

16. 7. Coordination with Air Medical • Please read section • Points • Use Ewide, or • Use whatever talkgroup that 911 has assigned to patch, or

17. 8. EMS Ops in other Counties • Please read section • Points • Use EWide • Use County zones (Onondaga or Cayuga)

18. 9. Mayday • Please read the section • Points • After you press the emergency button and hear the emergency signal, your mic stays open for 10 seconds • Remain silent or state your situation • Law will respond to your location if requested OR if there is no response from you after hitting the emergency button

19. 10. Intra-agency Ops • Same as old “6-11” • Remember…this is not a private talkgroup

20. 11. Returning to service • Please read the section • Points • State “returning” when you leave the hospital • If the ambulance is trashed, you may also report “out of service” at this time • State “available” when in or near your service territory

21. 12. Use of scan • Please read section • Points • Disabling, scan deleting or adding talkgroups should only be done rarely. Very, very rarely. • If you want to call someone on a talkgroup that is not scanned, then • First call them on a scanned talkgroup (preferably OPS 3 or CW16) • Tell them to meet you on the desired talkgroup

22. 13. Radio system failure • Please read the section

23. 14. Request for resources • Please read the section • Points • When requesting additional resources, please state the reason for the request • Example: Request Central Square Fire for lift assist • Example: Request Law for a violent patient

24. Questions?Suggestions?