Under pressure from a rapid increase in new COVID-19 cases, officials in multiple states are asking residents that they carefully consider their issue before calling 911 for assistance. In Brevard County, Florida, Fire Rescue Chief Mark Schollmeyer has issued a statement asking residents to “use 9-1-1 sparingly for non-emergent issues and to save the ambulances and ER trips for those who urgently need those services”, according to CNN. This request aligns with a statement from Brevard County Emergency Director John Scott, which said that local hospital systems are “over capacity and continue to deal with a strong surge in patients.”
In Memphis, Tennessee, fire department chief Gina Sweat has also noted the strain the EMS system is currently under. “At this point in the pandemic, our system is very, very stressed. Our first responders are running on fumes,” told CNN.
With full emergency rooms, Sweat says “If you ride an ambulance to the hospital, you’re not going to get seen any faster in that emergency department, you don’t get any privilege, you will be triaged and you will be placed in the waiting room and seen based on your condition and the rate that they can see you — so don’t call an ambulance for a ride to the hospital, it’s not going to help you.”
Source:
https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/12/us/memphis-brevard-county-ems-system-overworked
