Get Prepared

Preparing for an EMS Response

Having a need for EMS to respond can be a stressful time. Take a moment and familiarize yourself with some information to help make everything more efficient.

Calling 9-1-1

When you call 9-1-1 for a medical emergency, the 911 dispatch center collects vital information for First Responders and dispatch immediate help to your location. While First Responders and on the way to you it is common for the dispatcher to stay on the line with you and continue to ask you more questions. This does not delay the response by First Responders. It does however provide them with valuable information about your emergency and ensure the most up to date information about the situation.

Who Is Coming?

Our team of providers are highly trained Paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) will arrive by ambulance and fire engines. They are capable of providing the most advanced emergency medical care available. In some cases; if our ambulance is busy a fire department unit will be sent for a medical emergency. They are trained at the EMT-Basic level, and for some conditions they can begin treatments before another ambulance can arrive.

Preparing Your House

• Have someone flag the First Responder down at the street if available
• Turn on porch lights
• Unlock doors
• Put pets away if possible

Have Prepared Information Available

Consider preparing the EMS Patient Information Form that you can hand to us when we arrive. It can save precious seconds by providing First Responders with vital information right at their fingertips. It can also aid in gathering important information if someone is too sick to communicate well. Use a magnet to hold this form to your refrigerator.

EMS Access for Your Private Residence

Sometimes people are concerned that First Responders won’t be able to get to you if your door is locked and you aren’t able to unlock it. Rest assured; we will get to you if you need us. If you have placed a door key in an exterior lock box or some other location, you can contact us (hyperlink to email for myself), and we will put that information in a file with the 9-1-1 Center. It will be secure and that information will be available to responders if there’s a medical call from your address.

Fire and EMS Access for Multi-Residential Dwellings / Commercial buildings

A commercially available product, called Knox Box, is available to property managers. It is an exterior lock-box which holds your door key, fob, or card key, and it is commonly used by the Hanahan Fire and EMS. You purchase the box, and HFD units maintain a key that will open the box and allow us to use the key you provided to gain access to the property.

How to get a Knox Box:

• Go to www.knoxbox.com and click “buy” in the upper right corner
• Type “Hanahan” in the search box to find your agency, then click “Show More”
• Select “Hanahan Fire Department”
• Select the KnoxBox 3200 Standard Capacity box
• Under Options, choose the Mount Type most appropriate for your application (most choose the Surface Mount)
• Choose the color most appropriate for your application
• No tamper switch is required
• Make your purchase

Once you have received and installed your Knox Box, call HFD at 843-554-4221. We will come out and open the box with our Knox key so that you can load in your key, fob, or key card. We’ll place Red and Blue reflective tape on your box, which will designate it as a Fire/EMS access box.