Ebola Crisis - EMS Officials Prepare for Emergency
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- Wake County Emergency Medical Services is working to stop any potential threat of Ebola in its tracks. There are no known or suspected cases of Ebola in North Carolina, but healthcare providers have been preparing for any cases that may surface.
Since the beginning of October, 911 dispatchers have been screening callers with a medical emergency and asking them about their travel history, specifically if they've traveled to Africa in the last 21 days.
"It is a broad net," said Dr. Brent Myers, Wake County EMS Director. "We are casting it fairly broadly just to make sure that we catch everything."
Dr. Myers said the screening process does not slow down response times.
"Simultaneously, there's someone else that's working on the dispatching, getting units rolling your direction," he explained.
For first responders who move quickly to assist someone in need, Myers said it's critical they know exactly what they're rushing into.
"If they don't have that advanced warning, we're very concerned that our providers could be needlessly exposed."
Myers said Wake County initially set a deadline of Oct. 22 for screening 911 calls. However, with more cases of Ebola popping up in Dallas, that deadline will likely be pushed back and screenings will remain protocol until the threat of Ebola is no longer a concern in the United States.
Wake County EMS has screened for outbreaks in the past, the most recent being the SARS epidemic of 2003.
Orange County is also putting the 911 screening into practice when callers report flu-like symptoms.
