San Juan Regional Medical Center is proud to provide Emergency Medical Services to our community 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Our EMTs and Paramedics rise to the challenge every day, operating out of 7 EMS substations throughout the county to deliver the best care available in the shortest amount of time. One question we are often asked is when should someone call for an ambulance? Here are some tips from EMS Chief William Coker.

“An time you are having chest pain, shortness of breath, altered level of consciousness, possible stroke, you absolutely need to call an ambulance. We can get there and start providing the appropriate level of care. The earlier the better, because they could be lifesaving interventions,” Coker said.  

According to the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), these conditions need medical attention right away. Call 911:

• Trouble breathing or shortness of breath
• Choking
• Chest or upper belly pain or pressure lasting 2 minutes or more
• Fainting, sudden dizziness, or weakness
• Changes in vision
• Confusion or changes in mental status or unusual behavior
• Any sudden or severe pain
• Uncontrolled bleeding
• Severe vomiting or diarrhea, or vomiting or diarrhea that doesn't stop
• Coughing or vomiting blood
• Feelings about harming yourself or others
• Trouble speaking, or numbness or weakness in any part of your body 
• Unusual belly pain

“Think of an ambulance as a mobile Intensive Care Unit or Emergency Room. We have an array of equipment and medications that can start those interventions rapidly,” Coker said.

When an EMS crew responds to your emergency, they are not only able to start care right away, but they also communicate with the Emergency Department, so they are ready to care for you as soon as you arrive.

“Our paramedics can do an EKG and transmit it back to the hospital to interpret if you are having a heart attack. By the time we arrive, everyone is notified and ready so you can receive care the moment you arrive,” Coker said. 

San Juan Regional Medical Center’s EMS Department is a recipient of the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® EMS Gold achievement award. As part of an elite group of prehospital providers, our EMS first responders are committed to implementing a higher standard of rapid, research-based care for people experiencing the most severe form of heart attacks and strokes, ultimately saving lives.

To learn more about when to call 911, visit our Health Library.