When You Need an Ambulance
Call an ambulance when someone is:
- Having trouble breathing or breathing strangely
- Unconscious, having seizures or appears inappropriately drowsy.
- Having chest pain or discomfort; the chest pain may or may not spread to the arms, neck and jaw.
- Experiencing pain in the neck or back after a recent injury.
- Having trouble speaking, slurred speech, blurry vision or appears confused.
- Experiencing tingling, numbness or inability to move the arms or legs.
- Experiencing persistent pain in the abdomen or is vomiting or passing blood.
- Suffering from an injury to the ankle, knee or hip that would be made worse by being moved
When you call 911, the dispatcher will ask you:
- The exact location of the emergency
- Symptoms of the person who needs help
- Your name and the number from which you are calling
- To stay on the phone until the dispatcher hangs up first
Before the ambulance arrives:
- Make sure everyone stays safe
- Turn the porch light on, unlock the front door, and put pets in a closed room
- If possible, have someone meet the ambulance in front of the building—especially if the location is hard to find
- Do not move an injured person unless absolutely necessary.
The ambulance crew will want to know:
- What happened, when it happened, has it happened before
- Patient’s age, medical history, medicines taken, allergies
