During the week of August 11, 2014, a dispatch of psychiatric/abnormal behavior and suicide attempt calls will change. Initial dispatch of these calls will be at the Priority 3 response recommendation. This means, for the first time ever, that responders will hear Priority 2 Alpha, Bravo and Delta dispatches. This signifies that responders need to stage, according to individual agency policy for such, until advised that the scene is secure. A couple additional caveats to be aware of:
- Once the scene is secure, Communications will advise responding units. They will also upgrade the call to the response it would have been assigned initially had the scene been secure.
- Keep in mind that, per policy, Priority 3 calls do not roll over into the Mutual Aid Plan. If you know your agency will not be able to respond to a Priority 3 dispatch, someone from your agency should request MA be activated. Once the call is upgraded (i.e., when the scene has been secured), the MA clock starts and the call will be processed using the usual MA timing.
Contact County EMS Coordinator Mike McEvoy with any questions or concerns.