{"id":4622,"date":"2013-08-08T14:33:07","date_gmt":"2013-08-08T18:33:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smartsign.com\/blog\/?p=4622"},"modified":"2025-02-28T02:30:38","modified_gmt":"2025-02-28T07:30:38","slug":"emergency-response-teams-whats-taking-so-long","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smartsign.com/blog\/emergency-response-teams-whats-taking-so-long\/","title":{"rendered":"Emergency response teams – what’s taking so long?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Problem with Emergency Response\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Disaster strikes. \u00a0You rush to the phone and dial 911. \u00a0As you watch things get worse — your child still choking, your home still burning, your elderly relative still in pain from the fall — the clock keeps moving. \u00a0A full fifty-eight minutes later emergency services finally arrive on the scene.<\/p>\n

If you live in Detroit, this could happen to you. \u00a0According to a Wall Street Journal article<\/a>, “Detroit police took an average of 58 minutes to respond to calls, compared to a national average of 11 minutes.”<\/p>\n

What went wrong? \u00a0Many issues lie within the systemic processing of emergency calls, according to police chiefs interviewed by the Wall Street Journal. \u00a0Detroit’s problem was labeling too many calls as “high priority.” \u00a0Other cities have admitted to similar malfunctions within their system. \u00a0The issues can range from the operator misunderstanding the emergency, \u00a0human error by the police officers, or computer malfunctions that set off the entire system.<\/p>\n

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With response times like Detroit, many people feel that their only option in an emergency is to run for the hills. View this sign here<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\n

Are the emergency response delays misleading?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

While these numbers are startling, police argue they are often an unfair representation of the system. A single emergency that takes a long time to respond to can skew the entire average upward. Other factors such as distance, traffic, number of officers responding elsewhere, and city layout can all cause delays in response. Some police argue that response times are an inaccurate measure and advocate for a percentile-based system instead.<\/p>\n

Regardless of whether it\u2019s a perfect system, the numbers do indicate problems. An efficient emergency response system helps contain disasters; without one, a controllable problem could get out of control.<\/p>\n

A 2011 report by\u00a0Forbes<\/a>\u00a0states:<\/p>\n

The\u00a0U.S. Center for Disease Control<\/a>\u00a0launched the \u201cCities Readiness Initiative\u201d (CRI) to enhance the emergency preparedness of America\u2019s largest cities and metropolitan statistical areas, which encompasses more than 50% of the nation\u2019s population. \u00a0By contemplating an extreme scenario, the CRI considers the full gamut of response capabilities considered critical to managing a crisis. \u00a0As part of the CRI, the CDC and state public health personnel assess local emergency-management plans, protocols and capabilities for 72 Metropolitan Statistical Areas and four non-MSA large cities.<\/p>\n

Some of the worst cities ranked by the report were\u00a0Albuquerque, Birmingham, Pittsburgh, and Hartford. \u00a0New York City, Chicago, Albany, and Washington, DC ranked among the most responsive cities for emergency situations.<\/p>\n

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Signs like this can remind small children or foreigners what to do in case of an emergency. Never underestimate the power of a reminder! View this sign here<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\n

How Can You Help?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Slow response time can also be due to poor emergency planning. \u00a0Fortunately, there are many ways to prepare yourself for an emergency. \u00a0These tips will help you be as safe as possible while the emergency response team is on its way.<\/p>\n