Last year emergency medical dispatchers at BC Ambulance Service answered more than 394,000 9-1-1 calls. While many of those calls involved life-threatening situations from cardiac arrest to childbirth and motor vehicle accidents, some, were not of an urgent nature and did not require an ambulance response.
Here are some “unbelievable” examples:
– I think my house is infested with fleas. Can someone come and check it out?
– I can’t get through to my cell provider. Can you help me?
– My husband is driving me crazy. I need you to take him away.
– I need you to get hold of my doctor for me – the office is closed.
– I’m out of beer.
– I swallowed toothpaste. I didn’t spit it out. Will it make me sick?
– There’s a dead crow in my yard. Could I get West Nile disease from it?
– I don’t need an ambulance, but if I do, how much does it cost?
– I have a doctor’s appointment in the morning. Could you call me at 8 am so I’m not late?
– What’s the phone number to the hospital nearest to me?
BC Ambulance strongly recommends that 9-1-1 calls be used for medical emergencies only.
“It’s important to remember that we’re here to help people with emergency medical situations. Calls that are inappropriate divert resources from those who need swift medical attention.”
Alternatives to calling an ambulance include contacting the 8-1-1 tele-health service, accessing a walk-in clinic, or visiting a hospital emergency department.