Procedures for Medical Emergency Response

The following are procedures to help ensure that medical emergencies receive appropriate treatment as quickly as possible.

Dial 911

In case of a medical emergency, dial 911. The call will be answered by a dispatcher at the Harris County Emergency Communications Center. Tell the dispatcher that you are calling about a medical emergency. Give the dispatcher detailed directions on how to locate the emergency patient once on campus. The nearest available Emergency Medical Treatment (EMT) unit will be dispatched. Good directions are very important since it is possible that units from the closest stations, most familiar with our campus, may be out on other calls.

If the dispatcher is not told that the call is for a medical emergency, the dispatcher will assume the emergency is police related and forward the call to the University of Houston Police Department (UHPD). UHPD will then call the Harris County Communications Center for the EMT unit, which could delay the overall response time.

Campus Phone

If possible, make 911 calls from a hard-wired campus phone. If a call is made from a campus phone the UHPD will be alerted electronically that a 911 call has been placed. If possible, UHPD will dispatch a police car to meet the EMT unit and assist in locating the emergency patient.

Cell Phone

The same procedure can be followed in making a 911 call from a cell phone. In this case UHPD will not automatically be notified that the EMT unit is in route. Technology is not yet available to allow the Harris County Emergency Communications computer system to make this electronic notification. Make sure to give the dispatcher detailed directions on how to locate the emergency patient once on campus. After making the 911 call, you may notify UHPD that the EMT unit is in route by dialing 713.743.3333. UHPD will dispatch a police unit, if possible, to meet the EMT unit and assist in locating the emergency patient.