[Dispatcher Hilton Almond] Seattle Fire Department, what's the address of the problem?
[Mayor Bruce Harrell] We're looking at our 911 system and we're trying to develop
more ways to better serve those in need.
We'll call it the Seattle Fire Nurse Navigation Program.
[Harold Scoggins] So often times a 9-1-1 call comes in to the center
and if we only have one resource to send and one way
to get them to the hospital, that's really limiting for us.
So what we saw is an opportunity to better serve community.
[Dispatcher Hilton Almond] Tell me exactly what's happened?
[Caller] My wife's been feeling sick for the last three days.
[Lisa Edmondson] So Seattle Fire
determines that it is low acuity, and that means it's not life threatening.
[Harold Scoggins] All these are really critical, where people really need help,
but it really doesn't need to be a part of the 9-1-1 system.
[Dispatcher Hilton Almond] Has this ever happened to her before?
[Caller] Ah, no it hasn't, no.
[Dispatcher Hilton Almond] All right.
Would you like to speak to a nurse who can help your wife out?
[Caller] Yeah, that sounds like a great plan, thank you.
[Dispatcher Hilton Almond] Okay, standby.
Once we determine it's low acuity,
then we will transfer the patient
or the caller to the AMR nurse line in Texas.
[Telephone nurse] Hello, Seattle Fire Deparment.
My name is Elena. I am a nurse.
[Dispatcher Hilton Almond] On the line, I have a husband of a 45-year old female.
She's complaining of flu like symptoms and would like to talk to a nurse.
Once the two parties are connected,
we'll, Seattle Fire will do an introduction between the two.
So I understand she's having some flu like symptoms, correct?
Yes ...
[Lisa Edmondson] The nurse will start the triage of the patient,
and what they do is they sort through from the most critical questions
down to the lower level ones until they find the right
level of the patient, the triage level.
And then we match up our triage protocols
levels to be seen with insurance and also services needed.
[Harold Scoggins] And then we'll be able to keep more AMR units available on the street
and keep our fire department resources available.