IMMEDIATE ADOPTION
Number
231588
Version
ORIGINAL
Reference
Sponsor
ALD. WESTMORELAND, BORKOWSKI, BAUMAN, COGGS, CHAMBERS, RAINEY, STAMPER, AND PEREZ
Title
Resolution urging the Chief of the Milwaukee Fire Department and all certified ambulance service providers operating within the City of Milwaukee 911 system to adopt or modify Standard Operating Guidelines to require responders to exit their vehicles and search for those requesting assistance when weather, other environmental conditions, or obstructions, create impaired or reduced visibility at or around the location or landmark to which responders are dispatched.
Analysis
This resolution urges the Chief of the Milwaukee Fire Department and all certified ambulance service providers operating within the City of Milwaukee 911 system to require responders to exit their vehicles and search for those requiring assistance at and beyond the location or landmark to which responders were dispatched, predicated upon the responders’ ability to visually and with certainty clear a reasonable area of any victims who may have fallen down.
This resolution also urges the Chief of the Milwaukee Fire Department to conduct an analysis of existing and future technological capabilities to improve the potential for responders to locate cellular telephone 911 callers.
Finally, this resolution urges the Chief of the Milwaukee Fire Department to review existing 911 dispatch protocols and to enhance such responses that occur for patients who are identified as being outdoors in extreme weather conditions.
Body
Whereas, The City of Milwaukee mourns the tragic loss of a Milwaukee-area woman that occurred on January 15th, 2024, at the intersection of 76th and Congress streets; and
Whereas, The woman had called 911 and requested medical attention for herself, but was not located by the responding private ambulance crew, resulting in a significant delay in hands-on medical attention; and
Whereas, This fatal incident calls into question the efficacy of existing emergency response standard operating guidelines, as the woman likely would have been found had the rescue team exited the vehicle and physically searched the area immediately surrounding the location to which they were dispatched; and
Whereas, Requiring responders to exit their vehicles and search for those requesting assistance when weather, other environmental conditions, or obstructions, create impaired or reduced visibility at and around the location and/or landmark to which responders are dispatched may prevent another such tragic instance from occurring in the future and improve the safety of local residents; and
Whereas, Existing and future technological capabilities to improve the potential for responders to locate cellular telephone 911 callers should be evaluated to ensure all available methods for caller location are utilized to prevent another such tragedy; and
Whereas, A review of existing 911 dispatch protocols and an enhancement of such responses that occur for patients who are identified as being outdoors in extreme weather conditions may help prevent another such tragedy; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, By the Common Council of the City of Milwaukee, that the Chief of the Milwaukee Fire Department and all certified ambulance service providers are urged to adopt or modify Standard Operating Guidelines to require rescue crews to exit their vehicles and search for those requesting assistance when weather, other environmental conditions, or obstructions, create impaired or reduced visibility at or around the location or landmark to which responders are dispatched; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Chief of the Milwaukee Fire Department is urged to undertake a review of available and future technologies for locating cellular telephone 911 callers; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Chief of the Milwaukee Fire Department is urged to review existing 911 dispatch protocols and provide enhancements for such responses that occur for patients who are identified as being outdoors in extreme weather; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Chief of the Milwaukee Fire Department is urged to undertake a review process with the City’s private ambulance service providers and to report back to the Common Council within seven calendar days of the effective date of this resolution.
Requestor
Drafter
LRB179689-1
Gunnar Raasch
2/2/2024