CURRENT STATUS OF "9-1-1 EMERGENCY SERVICES"

Reply To: Julie Cacianti <emerg.medproj@gmail.com>

Dear Boquete (and surrounding)  Communities,

During the next several weeks you will be receiving further information relating to medical emergency services in Boquete.  I hope this information will be helpful to you  as you decide which services will best meet the needs of you and your family.  Please know that Dale Jackson has worked tirelessly the last several months gathering copious information which has been pertinent and highly valuable to this endeavor.  She now plans  to work independently on special projects relating to this effort.

For those who live in Dolega,  the following 9-1-1 services are currently available.  While there are "plans" to consider these services for Boquete, dates and details have not been established and 9-1-1 services are currently available in Boquete ONLY if another ambulance cannot be located. The following information has been provided by Lic. Jorge Gutierrez Sanjur, Public Relations Office for 9-1-1:

9-1-1 emergency services are currently in place in Dolega, 24 hours per day, seven days a week

To access this service, dial 9-1-1 using any phone , cell, land line  (home, office or  public phone.)
9-1-1 will respond to all calls in which "the life of a person is at risk."
• All shifts "reportedly"  have "one or two" bilingual staff.  If a person answers the phone who does not speak English, he or she will pass the call on to a bilingual staff member
9-1-1 services are free
There will be a minimum of two (maximum of three) trained EMT's on each ambulance that is dispatched
9-1-1 services provide three eight hour shifts, 24 hours per day, 365 days per year
"Some" of the EMT's have "have knowledge in English." "Radio assistance can be requested if there are interpretation difficulties"
• If a 9-1-1 call is received and an ambulance is not available, 911 will "contact  and coordinate service with all other security  and emergency possibilities, to include Red Cross, Health Ministry, CSS, and fire departments," depending on the situation.
9-1-1 ambulance needs are coordinated  ONLY with other government agencies,  they do NOT coordinate with private ambulance services except to provide a "link" if that is necessary
Landmarks, and location references are needed to locate a home

THE FOLLOWING 9-1-1 INFORMATION IS CRUCIAL TO BOQUETE RESIDENTS:

• "9-1-1 Services do not currently cover Boquete, we have been advised that "it is in their plans to do so," no dates have been established" 
• "9-1-1 currently responds to the Inner Dolega District"  "The 911 service does not leave Dolega unless it is very necessary" and unless there are no other government ambulances available.
  

"IF" YOU CONTACT THE 9-1-1  EMERGENCY NUMBER, THE FOLLOWING WILL REPORTEDLY OCCUR:

1. Your call will be picked up in Panama City
2. Panama City will refer your call to Dolega
3. Dolega will contact all emergency service entities in Boquete
4. ONLY if an ambulance cannot be located, will an ambulance be dispatched from Dolega to Boquete

PLEASE BE ADVISED:    Sometimes Boquete Fire Department ambulances are not operable, do not have available paramedics and may be without the requisite supplies  needed in an   emergency situation.  At present, one paramedic  is employed, on duty 24 hours and off duty 24 hours.  We understand a second paramedic is being considered.  If a paramedic is not available, the ambulance will transport without medical emergency services
                         

                                    "IF" you need an ambulance at your home, be prepared to provide landmarks and directions in Spanish!!

  Julie A. Cacianti                   
                                    

_____________________________________________________________
The above message was distributed by News Boquete (the new version of Noticias).
You are receiving this message because you have requested a subscription, which is a free community service.
News Boquete's email address is news.boquete@gmail.com.
For more info, visit www.boqueteforums.org/index.php?showtopic=4292.

If replying to this message, reply ONLY to ORIGINATOR, not to news.boquete@gmail.com or noticias@runbox.com.

Do NOT send mail to noticias@runbox.com; that is a send-only mailbox; you will not receive a reply!

Subscribers may send messages for distribution to news.boquete@gmail.com.

For subscription or general help, email news.boquete@gmail.com.

To stop receiving these emails, send a message to news.boquete@gmail.com with the word unsubscribe in the subject line or body of the message.

To support Bid4Boquete charity, visit www.bid4boquete.com.