CALL 911

In my first aid classes and the situational awareness “how to be safer” presentations, I continually stress the need to promptly call the Collier County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center, what we refer to as 911. I also talk about in a safety threat, or if a medical emergency arises, the need to “build your team.” We should never hesitate to call 911 if we feel there is a medical emergency or a suspicious incident occurring. The biggest problem in many cases is that a call to 911 for help was delayed.  

So, using a cardiac arrest as an example,the FIRST thing you do is call 911 and then start chest compressions. What exactly happens when you make that 911 call and what should you tell the 911 operator? First you need to understand the EMS emergency and non-emergency system. All calls made to both 911 and the non-emergency calls to 239-252-9300 go to the same place. The public safety center is located on Lely Cultural Parkwayoff Collier Blvd (SR-951). That dispatch center also handles dispatching all calls going out to the Sheriff’s Office, Naples Police Department, Marco Island Police Department, EMS, and all the fire departments in the county. This coordination and centralization make for a very efficient system. 

So, what does happen when you call 911? To answer that question, I like to go to the experts. I reached out to Capt. Chris Gonzalez who oversees the Collier County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center, and his communications manager Amy Tuff and asked just that. 

Q: What should someone tell the 911 operator when they call about a medical emergency of any kind?  

“The most important information that the caller can provide is their location. We want to verify that the emergency is at the location they are calling from and if not be able to quickly obtain the location to the emergency so that we can create a call for service.” 

Q: What can the caller expect to hear? What specific things will the 911 operator be asking and telling the caller?  

“Our dispatchers are certified, trained, and follow a medical protocol system that allows us to provide the callers with lifesaving medical instructions until the first responders can arrive. In situations where a patient is experiencing cardiac arrest, the dispatcher will first ask the caller if an AED is available and if so, to send someone to retrieve it. After that, depending on the situation, we will monitor the patient’s breathing or begin instructing the caller on how to provide CPR.” 

Q: Can you describe what the communications center does?For example, all calls for fire, police and EMS go through the same center, room, and persons? Do you do tours?  

“Our center dispatches for the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, Marco Island Police Department, Collier County EMS, and the five fire districts. All 911 calls within the county limits are routed into our center. Then, our dispatchers obtain information from the caller that dictates which responding agencies are sent to the call. 

 We give tours on a regular basis and host open-house events for both recruitment and educational purposes. We welcome the community to come and visit our center and learn about the county’s emergency operations.” 

Another thing I discuss in my first aid classes is a phone App called Pulse Point. Pulse Point follows the calls going out from whomever your local law enforcement agency is - in our case, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office. When you open Pulse Point it will show you on a list and a map where calls for service are occurring. Activate the AEDs on the map layers and this App will show you every AED in your area. This is one of the huge plusses of our emergency dispatch system and the need to call 911 immediately. There are AEDs located all over our county (see pictures) and the 911 dispatcher will tell you exactly where to have someone run in and get that AED out to your medical emergency. You also, when trained on CPR can activate an alert where Pulse Point will alert you if CPR is needed near your location. I asked Capt. Gonzalez about Pulse Point. 

“The Pulse Point application is an incredible tool that allows CPR certified individuals to be notified of emergencies requiring CPR near them. This alert provides the location of the nearest AED and allows the user to provide lifesaving measures until our first responders can arrive.” 

I asked Communications Manager Amy Tuff if there was anything else going on with the communications center and she added.  

“We are embarking on our fourth year in a partnership between the Collier County Sheriff’s Office and Immokalee Foundation. This is an instrumental program where students are trained on the state of Florida 911 public safety telecommunicator curriculum with hopes of becoming state-certified and ultimately offered a position to work for the sheriff’s office. Recently, one of our students from the first graduating class received a Phoenix Award for providing CPR instructions to a caller. The Sheriff’s vision to empower and educate our youth on the exciting opportunities they can embark on upon graduation has been truly instrumental in establishing long-term careers for these students.”  

So, the takeaway for this month is never hesitate to call 911 if you believe a medical emergency or suspicious incident or crime is in progress. Take that CPR/AED First Aid class and get Pulse Point downloaded to your phone. Getting training and being situationally aware can save a life!