9-1-1 call fear could hinder aid

By Lynsi Musselman

It’s happening more frequently as the pandemic continues – residents who avoid calling 9-1-1 in time of need because of the fear of COVID-19 exposure.

Shackelford County EMS director Tina Ulbrich emphasized this week that county residentsdefinitely need to call 9-1-1 if they are having any type of medical emergency.

“We are here to help. The consequences of not calling can outweigh the risks of possibly going to the emergency room,” Ulbrich said. “All hospitals are taking the proper precautions to not expose patients.”

Ulbrich said if a resident cannot wait to see a doctor, has chest pain, or respiratory issues, then 9-1-1 should be called. Even if the resident does not end up going to the hospital, EMS personnel can evaluate them.

“If a patient does need transporting to the ER, our ambulances are cleaned thoroughly after each use, and we have an ambulance set aside specifically for suspected COVID-19 patients,” Ulbrich said.

She added that when 9-1-1 is called, the dispatcher will screen the phone call to see if the patient might exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 before sending the ambulance.

“As always, a bloody nose is not an emergency, so use common sense, but residents do not need to delay getting help if they are at home not feeling well and worried about going to the ER because of the coronavirus,” Ulbrich said. 

She also advised calling 9-1-1 and not just the EMS number to ensure all public safety departments are notified for backup. The sheriff’s office can provide help for the EMS and 9-1-1 will automatically report possible emergencies to the sheriff’s office.