New Philadelphia Fire Department Campaign Aims To Limit Unnecessary 9-1-1 Calls
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Philadelphia Fire Department is on a campaign to encourage folks to hold off making Emergency Medical Services 9-1-1 calls, when they have non-medical issues.
A series of billboards across town, like the one on Aramingo Avenue in Fishtown, focuses on the point about how medically unnecessary ambulance transports put a strain on the EMS system, designed for true emergencies. Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel says his paramedics, EMTs and first respondents need to focus on life-threatening issues.
"Every time we sent a paramedic unit, fire engine or another asset to a non-emergency call, it's not available for an instance in which we need to give someone help right away,' Thiel said. "And not some of the things like you see on this billboard, like 'I have a toothache, I need some medicine,' or something like that."
The Philadelphia Fire Department's medic units respond to about 700 calls a day for services for medical emergencies. Convenience, or emergency? The department is emphasizing ambulance misuse may cost lives.
Deputy Commissioner Jeremiah Laster urges people to make the right call, for life threatening emergencies.
"We want people to call 9-1-1 for chest pain, shortness of breath, an asthmatic attack, a stroke or some serious traumatic injury," Laster said.
Looking at the most recent numbers, of the 270,000 responses in 2015, about 14% of EMS transports to a hospital were deemed "not medically necessary."
