Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2015 May 31

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May 31

USA emergency service response

Why is it that in the USA, emergency services will respond to other emergency services calls. For example a police unit might respond to an ambulance call or a ambulance unit might respond to a fire call, if they are nearest to the incident. In the UK, it never happens. Only the emergency service that was called will respond and they call other services if necessary. 194.66.246.51 (talk) 22:54, 31 May 2015 (UTC)

When you call 911, the dispatcher decides what services are likely to be needed based on your description of the incident and dispatches them all. Most places do not have separate emergency phone numbers for different services. Additionally in some locations first responders are multiply trained. In my town every fireman is a trained paramedic and a couple are trained reserve police on the SWAT team. In some cities all police are firefighters. Rmhermen (talk) 23:10, 31 May 2015 (UTC)

In the UK it definately does happen for medical emergencies, a lot of rural Fire Stations are first responders to calls in places an ambulance can't get to in the 8 minute target for a Category A emergency. See for example Warwickshire's scheme. Nanonic (talk) 23:11, 31 May 2015 (UTC)

See also this response from the US city of Red Wing, Minnesota. Nanonic (talk) 23:31, 31 May 2015 (UTC)

(edit conflict) Police may respond to a fire call for a few reasons: A) Direct traffic, B) give first aid (CPR, etc) if the officer is trained, C) Calm the residents of the structure who are wondering "When is help going to come?", etc.

Ambulances may respond to a fire for things like smoke inhalation or other more serious injuries.

Police may respond to ambulance calls for, again, first aid, traffic control, etc.

The police can often respond the quickest since there are already officers in vehicles out patrolling whereas the fire trucks and ambulances have to come from whatever garage they are in. Dismas|^(talk) 23:12, 31 May 2015 (UTC)

I was born in England and my mother was taken to hospital in a police car because there was no ambulances available. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 117.178.114.76 (talk) 23:19, 31 May 2015 (UTC)

Indeed police seem to deliver quite a few babies! 220 of ^Borg 05:41, 1 June 2015 (UTC)

Makes a huge amount of sense to me to send whichever service is immediately available/closest. I think Dismas & Rmhermen have already said a lot of what I say here. In a lot of 'emergency' situations, the police would likely be required (or at least very helpful) in addition to the fire brigade /ambulance requested. First aid training is required even for security guard licensing in New South Wales, Australia, and I am quite sure it is required for police applicants here too.

• I came across a situation where police were called to a nearby domestic violence incident, and an ambulance also arrived. I was told it was then standard practice to send medical aid (ambulance) as well to domestic violence calls.
• There is also the fact that a lot of 911 or 000 calls are fake calls, so sending the nearest 'emergency responder' of whatever type, means that the veracity of the incident can be confirmed quicker.
• I also recall watching an American TV series in the 1970s(? I can't remember the name! Emergency ?) where the 'firies' seemed to be very involved in providing treatment to injured persons. That may not be a realistic portrayal of course. I had an idea that US firies are often also trained paramedics, as Rmhermen mentions above. 220 of ^Borg 05:41, 1 June 2015 (UTC)

* And the TV show I was thinking of was Emergency!. - 220 of ^Borg 05:57, 1 June 2015 (UTC)

Is "firies" the Australian word for "fire fighters"? Dismas|^(talk) 05:48, 1 June 2015 (UTC)

As an Australian, with no particular language expertise, I believe it is a common colloquialism, at least in Sydney, New South Wales. Ambulance personnel are commonly called 'ambos'. 220 of ^Borg 05:57, 1 June 2015 (UTC)

@Dismas: Source: "Firies" and Keep your hands off our ambos!", which is about ambos being subjected to assault while trying to help people, another reason why police go to injury type emergencies. Australian Slang may be useful for future reference. 220 of ^Borg 09:05, 1 June 2015 (UTC)

@220 of Borg: Thanks heaps! Dismas|^(talk) 09:30, 1 June 2015 (UTC)

The postman is a "postie" in Australia and sometimes also in Britain. When police attend a traffic accident an ambulance often attends as well even though there may be no injuries. That seems to be sensible advance planning. The police will often ask someone involved in an accident if they want an ambulance. They're actually trained in midwifery in case a baby arrives unexpectedly. I think all the emergency services have basic training in the others. The basic training is widespread - the inspectors in my local street market go through a course in first aid. 87.81.147.76 (talk) 11:38, 2 June 2015 (UTC)

Ambo/s http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ambo/search/results.cfm?kw1=ambo] and postie are also extensively used in NZ [1]. Don't think firie/s is so common though. Nil Einne (talk) 02:10, 4 June 2015 (UTC)