SHOULD WE ASK CALLERS "IS ANYONE PINNED (TRAPPED)?" DURING MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS (MVAs)? We should! The question directs callers to pay attention to what matters most. For a traffic collision, the higher the speed of the vehicle, the higher the chances an occupant suffers severe injuries. After a serious crash, the absorbed kinetic energy can cause the vehicle to deform significantly, displacing parts of the vehicle into the interior. This displacement frequently limits an occupant's ability to move or be removed. When there is need for extrication, deformity and damage hinder an occupant's...

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IS THERE A STANDARD OF CARE AND PRACTICE FOR EMERGENCY DISPATCH? Yes! Ignorance of the standard is no defense. Over time and through litigation, concepts have evolved into a standard that reflects society's expectations of an emergency dispatch system. Emergency services and public safety agencies without this standard in place should be prepared to defend their practices in court—and in the court of public opinion. Ignorance of the standard is not a reasonable defense; both the courts and the public use it to judge emergency communication centers, municipalities, and individual dispatchers...

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