FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 2, 2020
CONTACT:
Michael Loiz, EMS & 911 Director
203-385-4060
National 911 Education Month Prepares Americans for Emergencies
National 911 Education Month Prepares Americans for Emergencies
Stratford, CT – The month of April is National 911 Education Month. Stratford Public Safety Communications Center will be periodically putting out information to help the public better understand their 9-1-1 system.
During this COVID pandemic, it is timely to point out some important information related to how and when to use the 9-1-1 system. Your Stratford Public Safety Dispatchers are an important part of the Town’s COVID response and stand poised and ready to assist you with professional and compassionate assistance over the phone.
When to call: Call 911 for emergencies. To stop a crime, save a life in a medical emergency or report a fire. 911 should not be used for any situation that is clearly not an emergency. Here are some good points to remember, related to the COVID pandemic
CALL 9-1-1 IF YOU HAVE:
- Difficulty Breathing or choking
- Allergic Reaction
- Symptoms of Heart Attack or Stroke
- Sudden confusion, disoriented or dizzy
- Have difficulty speaking, walking or seeing
- Have sudden severe pain
DO NOT CALL 9-1-1 IF YOU:
- Want information regarding COVID-19
- Need a ride to the doctors office
- Want to get tested for COVID or have questions about results
- Have mild symptoms – call your doctor
If you do need to call 9-1-1 for a medical emergency, be prepared to tell us whether or not you or someone in your family are sick or being monitored for COVID-19. It is important to answer all of the dispatchers questions and listen carefully to their instructions. They may ask you to wait outside for the responders and not to approach the responders until they tell you it’s ok. This is important for your safety and the safety of the responders. Responders will ask you to put on a mask when they arrive and they will obviously be wearing masks, gloves and possibly even a gown and face shield.
“Our Stratford 911 Dispatchers are an essential part of the Town’s response to COVID-19.,” said Michael Loiz, Stratford Public Safety Dispatch Director. “They will use an international protocol for screening callers for COVID in order to provide the caller with the best information and instructions, and to protect responders. Often the unsung heroes of our Public Safety Response here in Stratford, these professional men and women are working day and night to protect all of us from this pandemic.”
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For more information about COVID, go to the Towns COVID page at: http://townofstratford.com/coronavirus
Stratford Public Safety Communications Center
The Stratford Public Safety Communications Center is the primary PSAP for the Town of Stratford. They are responsible for manning the E911 center and dispatching police, EMS and/or fire units to over 40,000 calls per year. They process over 128,000 inbound and outbound phone calls per year (350 per day). With all of that, they are required to perform numerous tasks due to the 24/7/365 nature of their operation. This includes but is not limited to: performing law enforcement database checks, performing emergency medical dispatch per state of CT statute, monitoring field assets at emergency scenes like structure fires, administrative notifications and even weather station monitoring. Further the center plays an active role in the Towns EOC operations. Learn more here: SPSCC
