MFD, Ambulance Service Providers to roll out enhanced search protocol

Alderman Lamont Westmoreland, in conjunction with the Milwaukee Fire Department, is pleased to announce enhanced protocol to bolster efforts to locate a patient or caller outdoors. The enhanced policy comes after much discussion following an incident earlier this year in which a woman called 9-1-1 for support, was not located by the responding ambulance crew, and ultimately passed away.

“I want to thank Fire Chief Aaron Lipski, the Milwaukee Fire Department and ambulance service providers for being open to improving their procedures in an effort to ensure our community is offered the best, most comprehensive support services possible,” said Alderman Westmoreland. “At the end of the day I believe these changes in policy can save lives, and we will be better off for them.”

The enhanced EMS response standard operating guideline adds the following provisions: Providers shall ensure that the scene is safe prior to coordinating their efforts to locate patients who are not immediately present. Responders shall exercise due diligence in performing a search for a patient and shall utilize dispatch to attempt re-contact with the patient or caller(s), interact with bystanders as appropriate who may have information on the patient’s location, and utilize an audible and visual device (ex: activate their lights and sirens) to announce their presence/arrival at the location. For multi-agency and multi-apparatus incidents, providers shall coordinate their efforts under the guidance of the incident commander, which may include searching in the direction of patient travel as appropriate.

Extreme weather conditions that reduce survivability warrant additional effort to locate patients when none are immediately apparent to responders.

When weather, other environmental conditions, or obstructions, create impaired or reduced visibility at or around the location or landmark to which responders are dispatched, or predicated upon the responders’ ability to visually, and with certainty, clear a reasonable area of any victims who may have fallen down, responders shall exit their vehicles and search for those requiring assistance at and beyond the location or landmark.

Responders shall document the scene conditions, methods, and results of search efforts, and utilize information from dispatchers (patient call back, verification of location, etc.) as appropriate.

The effective date of the policy addendum will be Thursday, February 22, 2024. It is anticipated that Milwaukee ambulance service providers will include the same policy for their staff. Common Council file #231504 – a resolution relating to the City’s Private Ambulance Service Agreements with Bell Ambulance, Inc. and Curtis-Universal – was recommended for approval at Thursday’s Public Safety and Health Committee meeting, and will be before the full Common Council at its next meeting on Tuesday, February 27.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.