Emergency Medical Services: Communications Centre

The Regional Communications Centre in Regina answers approximately 50,000 requests for service, which results is approximately 40,000 calls for emergency services annually, providing service to about 520,000 residents in a combined area of roughly 129,000 square kilometers. In addition, the Communications Centre provides deployment for 53 ambulance services, 103 fire departments and dispatches 107 First Responder Teams. This translates into more than 263 emergency resources within southern Saskatchewan. This resource potential makes the Regional Communications Centre in Regina the largest of it's kind.

Equipment in the Communications Centre is state-of-the-art and incorporates digital communications technology and computer aided dispatch software.

Communications Specialists are certified by the National Academy of Emergency Dispatch (NAED). They determine the needs of a caller, deploy the appropriate resources and if necessary intervene in the emergency over the telephone to ensure the best outcome for every client.

9-1-1

9-1-1 is the official provincial emergency number and has become a crucial lifeline to those in need of immediate emergency response.

On February 25, 2003, 9-1-1 was implemented region-wide within the Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region. This was the final phase of implementation in the province, making 9-1-1 the official emergency number in Saskatchewan. Anyone in the province can access 9-1-1 in an emergency situation.

Calling 9-1-1 saves time for the caller and reduces the time it takes emergency services to respond to your call. The technology used by 9-1-1 provides the address, phone number and name of anyone calling from telephone, that is not wireless. This benefits callers who are unable to communicate this information. Anyone calling on a wireless phone must give this information to the operator verbally.

When to call 9-1-1

You should call 9-1-1 anytime you believe there is an actual emergency and you require a response from Police, Fire or Emergency Medical Services.

What happens when you dial 911?

The 9-1-1 operator will ask, "What is your emergency?" and he or she will forward your call instantaneously to the police, fire department or EMS. When you are transferred to EMS, two Communications Specialists work on your call. The call-evaluating Communications Specialist asks questions while the deployment Communications Specialist sends an ambulance. If necessary, the Deployment Specialist can send the police or fire department. The Deployment Specialist sends the needed service while talking with you to obtain more information. You must stay on the phone with the EMS Communications Specialist and answer all questions. The answers allow the right resources to be deployed to the incident. The EMS Communications Specialist may also direct you to perform tasks to care for a patient while an ambulance is enroute. It is important to try to follow the instructions to the best of your ability.

Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region's EMS Division's response times in Regina are above national averages, and are some of the most reliable in the country. This quick response time is partly due to "flexible deployment" used by EMS. This "flexible deployment" allows geographical deployment of ambulances to meet anticipated call volumes. Where units are assigned geographically is determined from statistics on calls received in the past.