TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. —
Time is of the essence within the occasion of an emergency akin to a hearth. Minutes usually decide the distinction between life-or-death, minor harm to property or a complete loss. As a way to make sure the quickest attainable response by firefighters, officers at Tinker Air Drive Base are reminding the general public to inform dispatchers instantly that you’re positioned on Tinker Air Drive Base.
Whereas utilizing a landline on base to name 911 mechanically takes to you to Tinker’s 911 emergency communications heart or PSAP (Public Security Answering Level), that isn’t at all times the case for cellphone customers.
Many variables such because the time of day or cellphone supplier determines the place wi-fi 911 calls are routed.
“Relying on the place you might be, how busy the cell towers are and what tower you hit, you possibly can come into Tinker’s PSAP or another surrounding space akin to Oklahoma Metropolis, Del Metropolis or Midwest Metropolis,” says Lori Shannon, Emergency Communications Middle supervisor at Tinker AFB. “Once we reply a 911 name, we are saying ‘Tinker 911, are you reporting an emergency?’ We determine ourselves however not all 911 facilities do this. You may not know the place your name acquired routed to.”
Off base emergency communications facilities are unable to dispatch for Tinker’s first responders. The extra time you spend on the telephone with an off-base dispatcher, means the longer it should take first responders on base to reply.
Stating your base location at first of the decision is an indicator for dispatchers on whether or not your name must be transferred or not.
“It is vitally vital to know that in case you are not going to make use of a landline on base and also you’re utilizing a cellphone, you want to let dispatchers know that you’re on Tinker Air Drive Base,” says Jerol Williams, hearth inspector at Tinker AFB. “They will get in touch with our dispatch, so we will dispatch out our folks.”
Within the occasion of a hearth, it will be significant to not panic. Present dispatchers with essentially the most quantity of data attainable.
“We’re going to ask for a name again quantity if we get disconnected, we have to know your location, we have to know what is occurring,” says Shannon. “Everybody right here is licensed as emergency medical dispatchers that means we will help you with CPR, choking, any minor factor we are going to stroll you thru that earlier than dispatching items get on scene.”
“I do know lots of people’s first response is wanting to place the fireplace out,” mentioned Williams. “Calling 911 and getting the wheels began is the primary factor to do. Don’t panic, get all the data and work with dispatch.”
