Make the right call: Dial 911/999 for emergencies only

  • Published
  • By Karen Abeyasekere
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  In the event of an emergency, it's a relief to know that emergency services can be there within minutes to help and take control of the situation.

The 48th Medical Group responds to all medical emergencies on RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall and RAF Feltwell. However, first responders from the 100th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department initially respond to RAF Mildenhall emergencies, as they can get there faster than an ambulance traveling from RAF Lakenheath.

There has recently been a rise in instances where they are being called out for non-life-threatening emergencies, which limits their response time and puts others who are in life-threatening scenarios at risk. There are many cases where rather than calling 911 or 999, people can get themselves to the hospital by other means, whether on or off base.

Calling the emergency number for something which isn't life-threatening can cause problems as it means vital manpower is reduced if major emergencies occur.

"When an ambulance is dispatched, it departs from the (emergency room) with a minimum of two EMTs on board," said Tech. Sgt. Richard Stites, 48th Medical Operations Squadron Emergency Services NCO in charge from Cincinnati. "This significantly hampers the manpower available within the ER to respond to additional 911 calls, or carry out the care that would be ongoing for patients in the ER at that time."

Emergency services should be called immediately if someone finds a person who is unresponsive, severely injured (broken bones or uncontrolled bleeding) or there is a fear of loss of life, limb or eyesight.

Although the common emergency number for Americans is 911, the base is trying to steer people toward using the British emergency number of 999. However, when calling from on base on either a landline or cell phone, it's important to remember there are extra numbers to include when dialing, to ensure the call immediately gets to emergency services on RAF Mildenhall.

"If you call 999 from a local landline (such as a home phone), you'll automatically be in touch with Suffolk/Cambridge Emergency Call Centre," said Paul Charland-Marlow, 100th CES Fire Department lead dispatcher from Beck Row, Suffolk.

Cell phone calls route into one of five call centers, which may be up to hundreds of miles from where the caller and the emergency are located.

"So, telling the (phone) operator that you're next to the BX, or just left of the Galaxy Club probably won't make a lot of sense to them," Charland-Marlow explained. "However, if people program their (mobile) phones with our number, they'll get straight through to the RAF Mildenhall ECC, and we know where the BX and Galaxy Club are."

When a 999 call is made on a cell phone, it's initially routed to the East Anglia Ambulance Service, who will then dispatch a local ambulance. The British ambulance undergoes the usual security checks of any off-base vehicle, which can result in delays at the gate and valuable time can be wasted.

"The time to discover you have the wrong number isn't when you need to use it," stressed Charland-Marlow. "If you do one important thing today, make sure it's putting 01638 547999 into your phone. We'll dispatch emergency care to you within 60 seconds, so help will be summoned and on its way (immediately)."

The commercial number of 01638 547999 reaches the RAF Mildenhall Fire Department, whereas 01638 527999 reaches the RAF Lakenheath Fire Department. It's important to ensure the correct number is called to aid in response time.

Members of the 48th MDG, the 100th Security Forces Squadron and the 100th CES Fire Department hear all emergency calls to the ECC. If medical aid is required, the fire department will react immediately with trained medical responders and can usually reach anywhere on base in less than seven minutes.

The 48th CES Fire Department and 48th SFS respond to emergencies on RAF Lakenheath.

"So, in less than seven minutes after you call us for help, we'll be there. Medics (from RAF Lakenheath) will be en- route with an ambulance, and because we all work so closely, security forces will be ready at the nearest gate to escort the ambulance directly to the scene for a faster response," Charland-Marlow added.

There are always situations when an ambulance or other first responder will be dispatched straight away, including any immediate threat to life, limb or eye sight, uncontrolled bleeding, seizures, broken bones, vehicle crash - especially if someone is bleeding, severe allergic reactions, chest pain or if someone isn't breathing or has no pulse.

Before calling for an ambulance it's important to ask the following questions:
· Can I transport myself (or the injured person) safely?
· Can a friend or relative safely transport the patient?
· Do I risk losing my eye sight, life or limb if I don't get immediate medical attention?

If the answer is "Yes" to either of the first two questions, an ambulance is probably not required. However, if the answer is "Yes" to the third question, call emergency services immediately.

For residents in Lakenheath base housing, the emergency number (when calling from a cellphone or landline) is 01638 527999. For any life-threatening emergency off base, call 999 as British emergency services will respond to those calls.