Press Release from SLVFD and SLVRS regarding 911 Dispatch

On behalf of the members of the Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department, Rescue Squad and paid drivers we would like to clarify and help the residents of our community better understand our relationship with the current 911 system. There seems to be a tremendous amount of confusion and misinformation regarding the 911 dispatch center in Malone and how it works in relationship to the dispatch center at SLVFD. This article is an effort to help inform the residents of the area about 911 and is prompted by recent questions and comments presented by members of the community.

Our goal is simply to continue to work hand in hand with the existing 911 system and be able to continue to self dispatch the calls in our area. We believe that by partnering with the Franklin County 911 that we enhance emergency services in our area. The paid driver's knowledge, and familiarity with the area and its residents, combined with their years of experience on the job serves as a tremendous asset to the 911 system.

How it works: If you dial 911 you will get a 911 Emergency Medical Dispatcher in Malone who will assist you. The 911 dispatcher takes all of the information and passes it up to our paid drivers who dispatch Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Dept., Bloomingdale Volunteer Fire Department, Paul Smiths -Gabriels Volunteer Fire Dept. and Saranac Lake Volunteer Rescue Squad accordingly. In the event of a medical emergency the 911 dispatcher in Malone will stay on the line to provide emergency medical guidance, such as instructing the caller in how to perform CPR.

One of the most valuable benefits from being able to dispatch the way we currently do is when there is a discrepancy or question about the location of the call. Currently, if there is a discrepancy, the 911 dispatcher has the ability to push the call up to our paid drivers so that they can assist the caller in pin pointing the location of the call quickly. Due to the complexity of our area and the increased use in cell phones this has happened in the past on numerous occasions. As a result of working together we were able to assist the caller and the 911 dispatcher in properly identifying the location of the call, thus providing a quicker response. The combined utilization of 911 dispatch and the paid drivers is a very efficient and effective way for us to be able to deliver the quickest emergency response possible.

We want to make it very clear to everyone involved that we are not here to, nor do we wish to compete against the Franklin County 911 Dispatch Center. The residents of Saranac Lake and all the surrounding townships currently receive and have been receiving all along, the full service and benefits of the 911 dispatch center based in Malone. The SLVFD drivers are an invaluable additional resource to the existing system and provide the added benefit of being able to self dispatch local EMS agencies.

Hopefully this clears up a lot of the misinformation that is out there and we look forward to continue serving the community. We want to especially thank the village board, surrounding townships and community at large for your continued support. We could not do what we do without their support.

Respectfully,

members of the SLVFD and SLVRS.

Look for more stories like this at saranaclakefire.com. Articles coming soon, Early Detection and smoke Detectors, introduction to the new Knox Box program at SLVFD.