For years, when you called 9-1-1 in Plano for emergency medical care, a fire truck and an ambulance would be
dispatched with lights flashing and sirens sounding no matter the nature of the call.

On Monday, March 18, the City of Plano will transition to the Medical Priority Dispatch system which will change the response to match the level of medical assistance and resources required based on the specific needs of the caller and patient.

Plano Fire Chief Brian Crawford and Director of Public Safety Communications Ron Timmons announced the change during Monday night’s Plano City Council preliminary open meeting.

It will be a new approach to medical emergency response for Plano; however this system of response has
been used in some U.S. cities for 30 years. The transition is a coordinated effort between Plano Fire-Rescue
and the Public Safety Communications department, which oversees 9-1-1 calls.

All 9-1-1 call-takers and Plano Fire-Rescue responders have been training extensively in preparation for this transition. Under the Medical Priority Dispatch System, all 9-1-1 calls will be evaluated on a four-tier system. The level of equipment and resources deployed will depend on the type of medical emergency or non-emergency.

“9-1-1 personnel will establish the location of the patient and ask callers standardized questions,” said Timmons.

Lifethreatening and serious emergencies will still receive the highest level of response, which includes both a fire
truck and an ambulance with lights and sirens activated. Less serious and non-emergent medical needs that
require assistance will be dispatched with a single EMS unit without lights or sirens and at the normal speed of
traffic.

This method will allow critical equipment to remain available for life-threatening emergencies, while still allowing the department to respond effectively to all types of calls.

“The Medical Priority Dispatch System is designed to maximize effectiveness and efficiency by sending the right resources to the right person in the right way at the right time," said Chief Crawford. 

The Preliminary Open Meeting presentation can be watched online here under the City Council tab.

Story courtesy of the City of Plano