David Nice
Skyline Ambulance Director

If you believe in statistics, one out of ten people will face a medical emergency within the next year. Although any medical emergency is serious to the person involved, fortunately, most events are not critical. The hard part is recognizing when an event is serious and when resources are available to help you. At times, people overreact and other times underestimate the seriousness of the event.

Many people have family physicians that know their medical history well. When you call your doctor, they are relying on your description of what is wrong. Sometimes, they can make recommendations based on your past medical history, but many times you will need to be evaluated by a trained medical professional. Because of television shows such as “Rescue 911”, most people understand that there is an emergency system in place. However, many people have the false impression that it is quicker to drive themselves or their loved ones to the Emergency Room. As the director of Skyline Hospital Ambulance, I cringe when I hear horror stories of people who had an adverse outcome because they made that decision.

In general, you should call 911 for any event that involves a loss of consciousness, difficulty breathing, chest pain or major bleeding. In addition, any situation that was caused by excessive force such as motor vehicle accidents, falls or being severely struck by an object warrant an ambulance response. Any of these situations can be made worse by moving the victim.

Fire Department first response agencies provide rescue, initial treatment and preparation for transportation. The ambulance crew provides advanced life support medical care both at the scene of the event and while going to the hospital. Paramedic level staffing allows us to provide diagnostic procedures and medications to provide pain relief and stabilize the patient’s condition before they arrive at the hospital. Although the ambulance is set up as a mini emergency room to handle a variety of situations, it is not designed to replace the care of the physician.

The basic rule of any emergency is to “do no further harm”. The teamwork approach of the emergency medical system allows us to bring comfort and lifesaving care to you faster and safer than you can get to the doctor. Treatment begins immediately, and the patient is transported to the emergency room when it is safe to do so.