SMETHPORT — McKean County 911 Coordinator Joel Anderson released information to provide the public with a new protocol for 911 intake during the COVID-19 emergency operation. McKean County 911 dispatchers will utilize an Emerging Infectious Disease Surveillance Tool that is integrated into the Emergency Medical Dispatch software. The screening asks questions concerning whether the patient has been recently been exposed to anyone with a flu-like illness, if the patient has traveled anywhere within the last 14 days, or have they been in close contact with anyone who has been quarantined within the past 14 days.

“Callers to the McKean County 911 center may experience an increase in the amount time devoted to intake during the current COVID-19 crisis,” noted Anderson. “We ask the public for their patience so we can provide comprehensive information to protect our first responders and provide safety and protection to any person needing emergency services.”

The tool also gathers supplemental information about the patient’s symptoms such as a recent fever, chills, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, or a persistent cough. The logic built into this tool calculates the answers to these questions, and if indicated will notify the call-taker that there is a reasonable likelihood of coronavirus. This information allows telecommunicators to notify the responders to take respiratory precautions.

“Part of preparing for a countywide crisis is to make sure our staff and volunteers are well-trained and informed and that the county, overall, is well leveraged with any tools to assist our efforts,” commented Nate Burgett, DES Training Coordinator. “The EIDST will be vital to our dispatchers going forward.”