MAYES CO., Okla — Mayes County commissioners officially approved a new set of dispatch protocols for the fire department.
I’m Isabel Flores with 2 News Oklahoma.
I found out more about the new protocols and how these new rules aim to promote safety and clear up some miscommunication.
Erik Dickover is the executive director of MESTA, the dispatch company responsible for handling calls.
He said the new protocols being put in place help to set up a system of severity, prioritizing calls having to do with injuries like Cardiac Arrest or Childbirth.
The full list can be seen below:
- Breathing Problems
- Cardiac Arrest
- Chest Pain
- Childbirth
- Choking
- Hemorrhage/Lacerations
- Inaccessible Incident/Other Entrapment (Non-Vehicular)
- Overdose
- Stabbing/GSW/Penetrating Trauma
- Stroke (CVA)
- Traffic (MVA)
- Trauma
- Unconscious/Fainting (Near)
Dickover said everything being done is to help keep as many resources available as possible while also keeping everyone safe.
“It’s just trying to make it a clear communication, making sure the resources are going where they need to, and that we’re not overutilizing what they have," said Dickover. "The worst thing we need is having them on the northside of town on a stubbed toe- and then a cardiac arrest goes out five miles away on the other side of town.”
He did say during a meeting in June, live alerts were thought to have been feasible, but unfortunately, in July, it was seen as something that wouldn't be able to happen due to lack of resources and time.
"We have to remember our volunteers who have regular full time jobs during the day, and we're asking them to sacrifice their family time in the middle of the night, or sacrifice dinner with the family, or leave their job to go to some of these calls," he said. "What they asked was that that we try to find those most serious calls to send them to."
Mayor of Spavinaw, Amanda Miller, said she originally heard that fire departments would not send out a unit even if requested, but Dickover said that is not the case.
The fire department will never deny a resident a visit, even if it doesn’t meet the 13-item priority list.
Still, Miller said she is still a bit skeptical about the new system, especially regarding resources.
"I just hope that that the town of Spavinaw, that the residents understand," she said. "Just like the other day on scene when that patient's family looked at me and said we had to call twice just to get help, I hope that they know that Spavinaw Fire did not make that decision."
She said there's only five ambulance for the whole county that are usually getting used for long-distance transports, but each city has fire departments, which could respond to more calls.
“The concerns are that it relies on a lot of variables to get someone out to respond when you have a phone call," she said. "The initial question is ‘we’re gonna run through a 13-point checklist,’ but you’re gonna run through that checklist with a caller who is distress, or in a stressful moment.”
She said while Spavinaw didn't have a say in approving the new protocols, she is still hoping for the best.
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