Alpha, Bravo, Charlie Delta

[65something 6]

60 Control has recently begun adding an Alpha/Bravo/Charlie/Delta Response codes to their EMS dispatches. We were informed by 60 that an e-mail was sent to all Captains explaining it all. My Captain has not seen fit to share that info yet. Can anyone explain it for me?

[v85 212]

Every agency will have this system set up different. But the basic version is:

 

A - BLS unit non emergency 

B- BLS unit emergency

C- BLS unit emergency and ALS unit non emergency 

D - BLS and ALS emergency

E- BLS and ALS emergency + closest unit (like Hazmat, fire marshals etc)

 

E is basically for what they call ineffective breathing and only a few calls are E (CPR, Hanging, Drowning/Submerged Vehicle occupied)

 

Now the agencies can change things. For example in Orange County it basically is

 

A - BLS non emergency

B - BLS emergency

C/D/E - BLS and ALS emergency

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ladder44 73]

1 hour ago, v85 said:

Every agency will have this system set up different. But the basic version is:

 

A - BLS unit non emergency 

B- BLS unit emergency

C- BLS unit emergency and ALS unit non emergency 

D - BLS and ALS emergency

E- BLS and ALS emergency + closest unit (like Hazmat, fire marshals etc)

 

E is basically for what they call ineffective breathing and only a few calls are E (CPR, Hanging, Drowning/Submerged Vehicle occupied)

 

Now the agencies can change things. For example in Orange County it basically is

 

A - BLS non emergency

B - BLS emergency

C/D/E - BLS and ALS emergency

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe even one day they'll only send ALS fly cars to Charlie/Delta/Echo calls and stop abusing them running to every medical call.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[vodoly 535]

57 minutes ago, Ladder44 said:

 

Believe  Alpha  Bravo Charlie & Echo Are in use in Nj used by EMS & Paramedics  MICOM &  Englewood Hospital unit’s also use this as post locations  (example)  delta post is Englewood Cliffs Fire Headquarters Possibly being moved to Boro Hall

[LayTheLine 108]

I'm a little confused about two things, can anyone please clarify?

 

1) The E response says closest Haz-Mat, Fire Marshall, etc.  Would this include fire departments that send an engine or rescue first due because they don't have an ambulance? Or is a fire department that runs EMS with no ambulance considered part of the BLS response? 

 

Example: Croton Falls Fire responds to EMS calls and North Salem VAC transports. Does Croton Falls only go on E codes, or are they considered part of the BLS response and go on all B,C, D, & E calls?

 

2) The C response confuses me. Why would you respond a BLS ambulance emergency and ALS non-emergency? My thinking is that most ambulances are BLS and the ALS comes in a fly-car. So if the call was in Armonk, why would the ambulance respond emergency but the ALS vehicle is coming non-emergency from Northern Westchester Hospital? It would seem to me that Armonk BLS ambulance could beat the ALS fly-car by 20 minutes if they were going emergency and the ALS was coming non-emergency. I guess my question is what types of calls fall into this category?

 

Thanks for any feedback!

[v85 212]

The question about Echo responses is really up to the department. The thing about non traditional resources responding is really for paid departments that have a lot of staffed apparatus. This way if there was a CPR call across the street from a rescue company or Hazmat company they would respond along with the assigned box. 

 

I never got the BLS hot / ALS cold thing on the Charlie responses either, but that is thr model in the EMD training guides. Again it is probably designed for paid systems that have many more BLS units than ALS.  This way the closer BLS unit responds hot and assesses the patient and can make a decision on cancelling the ALS unit or upgrading them to an emergency response. 

 

Charlie level calls are most ALS calls that are not imminently life threading. (I.e.  Diabetics but conscious, Abdominal pain over age 35, Difficulty breathing but still alert and able to speak in full sentences; Stroke symptoms without airway compromise; Chest pain without altered mental status or severe diff. Breathing )

[antiquefirelt 994]

So I'm pretty sure most or all of this comes from Priority Medical Dispatch, who have developed the phonetic response determinants based on the old four square risk model? Attached is the model from the EMD field guide. They note that the codes are given the same in every system, but the system users/admin determine the given response to the codes based on the local system.

 

For example, our system locally does not have ALS or BLS trucks, we have volunteers that may or may not have ALS in town or two career staffed EMS services that have ALS on duty. So if we're short  on medics, we send a medic on all calls that are Charlie, Delta or Echo, but hold them back on Alpha and Bravo calls to ensure their availability. Echo calls in our system have the dispatcher notifying the EMS, fire and PD resources in the dispatched area to ensure the fastest unit arrives as quickly as possible and can begin CPR or notify the others of the situation.