When Emergency Services Are Needed

[reflection5]

Usually the emergency contact information is in HR/employee file.  Few people have access to that information, and precious time can be lost trying to get it.

[SingActDance]

Usually the emergency contact information is in HR/employee file.  Few people have access to that information, and precious time can be lost trying to get it.

What is this "precious time" you refer to, if emergency services have already been called?

ladyknight, what is the purpose of emergency contact information? What is it used for at your school?

[reflection5]

Usually the emergency contact information is in HR/employee file.  Few people have access to that information, and precious time can be lost trying to get it.

What is this "precious time" you refer to, if emergency services have already been called?

Umm, my reference pertained to a situation where 911 had NOT been called and they were shuffling around trying to find emergency contact information INSTEAD.   Precious as in valuable.

[SamiHami]

I agree the husband was out of line, but he might be wondering why he wasn't called by the school at all. If a student has a medical emergency, I would think that their emergency contact should be notified immediately once proper medical personnel have been summoned.

That is a rather interesting assumption. Who said he was never called? He was, in fact, called once the immediate crisis had passed; that is, after 911 had been summoned and she had been taken away in the ambulance.

Seriously, where did you get the idea that he was never called? I never said that.

[ladyknight1]

Well, that changes things. The husband was out of line.

[Rohanna]

At both the University and college in my town I would find it doubtful that staff or other students would be able to access student information in any kind of hurry due to privacy laws. That assumes that the people who found her had any idea who she was initially- in the rush to call an ambulance many people will not think to check for wallets or other ID. In a school where there may be at any time 4-10k students, 2-3k staff and support staff- not counting other non-enrolled visitors, contractors, family members etc.... there were many times at my school where I couldn't have told you if the person in front of me was student, staff, janitor or member of the band playing at the pub that night. Running into the registers office to ask for the home phone number of "that girl with the red backpack wearing gym shorts", for example, would be unlikely to get me anything before the ambulance showed up.

[mmswm]

At both the University and college in my town I would find it doubtful that staff or other students would be able to access student information in any kind of hurry due to privacy laws. That assumes that the people who found her had any idea who she was initially- in the rush to call an ambulance many people will not think to check for wallets or other ID. In a school where there may be at any time 4-10k students, 2-3k staff and support staff- not counting other non-enrolled visitors, contractors, family members etc.... there were many times at my school where I couldn't have told you if the person in front of me was student, staff, janitor or member of the band playing at the pub that night. Running into the registers office to ask for the home phone number of "that girl with the red backpack wearing gym shorts", for example, would be unlikely to get me anything before the ambulance showed up.

I used to work for a large community college.  I had access to the student information systems mainframe.  If I knew the person's name (if it was unique enough) or was able to get his/her student ID or other form of ID, I would have been able to find out that student's emergency contact information from just about every computer on campus that wasn't designated as student use only.

[camlan]

At both the University and college in my town I would find it doubtful that staff or other students would be able to access student information in any kind of hurry due to privacy laws. That assumes that the people who found her had any idea who she was initially- in the rush to call an ambulance many people will not think to check for wallets or other ID. In a school where there may be at any time 4-10k students, 2-3k staff and support staff- not counting other non-enrolled visitors, contractors, family members etc.... there were many times at my school where I couldn't have told you if the person in front of me was student, staff, janitor or member of the band playing at the pub that night. Running into the registers office to ask for the home phone number of "that girl with the red backpack wearing gym shorts", for example, would be unlikely to get me anything before the ambulance showed up.

This. Certainly if the seizure happened in a classroom, the instructor should have some way of finding out the name of the person. But next of kin info? Probably not available to an instructor at all.

What would have happened in the schools I've attended/worked in--911 would be called. After calming down the other students, if this had taken place during class, the department office would be notified. Someone from there would have called the Dean or the Health Center or whatever office would be appropriate, and someone from there would contact the parents or other next of kin. If fellow students hadn't already called parents/spouse if they knew the phone number.

When I was teaching at a university, I had the student's name and Social Security number and that was all. I was allowed to ask for their phone numbers and email addresses, but they didn't have to give them to me if they didn't want to. The university had next of kin information, but I had no idea what office was in charge of it.

[mmswm]

I should probably add that my particular position is what gave me the access to student information.  Had I just been a regular teacher, I would not have had the access I had.  Most teachers only had access to the pages that showed basic student information: name, class, major, phone number.

[WillyNilly]

Evidently a student started seizing this morning so 911 was called and she was transported to the hospital. Her husband called a short while later absolutely infuriated that emergency services were called! He at one point mentioned that he was a two minute drive away from our campus, and feeling threatened staff again called 911, this time to summon the police out of concern for what this man may have intended to do.

I agree the husband was out of line, but he might be wondering why he wasn't called by the school at all. If a student has a medical emergency, I would think that their emergency contact should be notified immediately once proper medical personnel have been summoned.

That is a rather interesting assumption. Who said he was never called? He was, in fact, called once the immediate crisis had passed; that is, after 911 had been summoned and she had been taken away in the ambulance.

Seriously, where did you get the idea that he was never called? I never said that.

Its not an "interesting assumption" so much as an educated assessment. If the school called him after calling 911, then why was it in your OP he called the school? The logical assumption from the details in your OP was that his wife or the hospital called him, not the school.

[artk2002]

He was called whether it was by the school or the hospital or someone else. It is not the responsibility of the school to make that call. Their responsibility ended with the arrival of the EMTs.

[SamiHami]

Evidently a student started seizing this morning so 911 was called and she was transported to the hospital. Her husband called a short while later absolutely infuriated that emergency services were called! He at one point mentioned that he was a two minute drive away from our campus, and feeling threatened staff again called 911, this time to summon the police out of concern for what this man may have intended to do.

I agree the husband was out of line, but he might be wondering why he wasn't called by the school at all. If a student has a medical emergency, I would think that their emergency contact should be notified immediately once proper medical personnel have been summoned.

That is a rather interesting assumption. Who said he was never called? He was, in fact, called once the immediate crisis had passed; that is, after 911 had been summoned and she had been taken away in the ambulance.

Seriously, where did you get the idea that he was never called? I never said that.

Its not an "interesting assumption" so much as an educated assessment. If the school called him after calling 911, then why was it in your OP he called the school? The logical assumption from the details in your OP was that his wife or the hospital called him, not the school.

He was called and notified of the situation. Perhaps it took him a few minutes to get up a head of steam about the ambulance bill. But he called back and seemed threatening enough that my coworkers felt it necessary to call the police about it.

I do think it was an interesting assumption.

[Iris]

I think it was handled absolutely perfectly. And frankly I don't care about this guy's adrenaline or financial situation or whether he was notified. It is never, ever okay to shout abuse at people until they feel threatened enough to call the police. Simple as that. If he is in such a financial state that an ambulance ride and ER visit puts him in a bind then it is up to he and his wife to take measures to minimise the risk that that happens, not wait until it does and then shout at the people who were trying to get the best treatment for his wife.

I get being frustrated with a situation and *feeling* angry unreasonably, we all do that sometimes. Acting on those feelings in such a way is the problem here. It's just not okay.

[ladyknight1]

POD Iris and Art.

It is not reasonable behavior to call and berate the staff about a medical crisis that happened at their school.

[SingActDance]

Evidently a student started seizing this morning so 911 was called and she was transported to the hospital. Her husband called a short while later absolutely infuriated that emergency services were called! He at one point mentioned that he was a two minute drive away from our campus, and feeling threatened staff again called 911, this time to summon the police out of concern for what this man may have intended to do.

I agree the husband was out of line, but he might be wondering why he wasn't called by the school at all. If a student has a medical emergency, I would think that their emergency contact should be notified immediately once proper medical personnel have been summoned.

That is a rather interesting assumption. Who said he was never called? He was, in fact, called once the immediate crisis had passed; that is, after 911 had been summoned and she had been taken away in the ambulance.

Seriously, where did you get the idea that he was never called? I never said that.

Its not an "interesting assumption" so much as an educated assessment. If the school called him after calling 911, then why was it in your OP he called the school? The logical assumption from the details in your OP was that his wife or the hospital called him, not the school.

He was called and notified of the situation. Perhaps it took him a few minutes to get up a head of steam about the ambulance bill. But he called back and seemed threatening enough that my coworkers felt it necessary to call the police about it.

I do think it was an interesting assumption.

You said in your OP that the "husband called a short while later." You never mentioned the prior phone conversation. Apologies.