# EMT/Medical dopers is this extended questioning by a 911 dispatcher normal in a critical emergency?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emt-medical-dopers-is-this-extended-questioning-by-a-911-dispatcher-normal-in-a-critical-emergency/753577>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [May 1, 2016, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emt-medical-dopers-is-this-extended-questioning-by-a-911-dispatcher-normal-in-a-critical-emergency/753577 "2016-05-01T06:57:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2016, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emt-medical-dopers-is-this-extended-questioning-by-a-911-dispatcher-normal-in-a-critical-emergency/753577/41 "2016-05-02T14:03:30Z")

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> [@DataX](#):
>
> Why anyone would use language like “send a fucking ambulance” when they are trying to get help for their friend is beyond me. I don’t mind language, but people seem to have no clues how to interact with others sometimes.

Because people in highly emotionally charged situations don’t always act rationally. No doubt that is part of the “fun” of being involved in emergency response as a responder.

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**Author:** ![JcWoman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jcwoman/32/2889_2.png) [@JcWoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JcWoman)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2016, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emt-medical-dopers-is-this-extended-questioning-by-a-911-dispatcher-normal-in-a-critical-emergency/753577/42 "2016-05-02T20:20:00Z")

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I want to add one piece of data that nobody yet has mentioned: many 911 systems have the capability to assign place names to their geo-information systems. I used to do computer support for a county-side 911 agency and ours had this. For example you could call and say you were at the 7-11 on Percy street and the dispatcher could enter “7-11” and the system would bring up a list of possible matches. The dispatcher could then select the one on Percy Street or ask for further clarification if Percy was long enough to have two 7-11 stores located on it. So in some places you don’t actually need to know the precise street address.

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**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2016, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emt-medical-dopers-is-this-extended-questioning-by-a-911-dispatcher-normal-in-a-critical-emergency/753577/43 "2016-05-02T21:29:53Z")

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> [@Lacunae\_Matata](#):
>
> …Because a dispatcher didn’t get the information before she started units to the first scene.
> 
> I’m the wife of that deputy. 3.5 years later, we are dealing with all of the aftermath of a dispatcher who didn’t do the job correctly. Accurate information is important.

Isn’t the failure there that the dispatcher did not _continue_ getting information after the first units were on the way? That a unit was not rerouted as the two situations revealed themselves?

If they wait to confirm the whole story before anyone starts driving, some dispatches would never be made at all, and more would arrive a little too late.

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