First Aid When The Ambulance Is On Its Way: What Happens After You Call 911, And When Can You Expect Help To Arrive?

Knowing that there is a central number to call when you experience an emergency — and you need the police, fire department, or an ambulance right away — offers great peace of mind.

We always hope we won't need to call 911 (in the US, Canada, and Mexico, among other countries), 999, 112, 000, or 108 (depending on where you live). In reality, however, most folks will either themselves experience a medical emergency that requires an ambulance, or witness someone else during a life-threatening moment. In the US alone, 911 receives over 240 million calls a year. 

If you have never called 911 — or your own national emergency response number — to request assistance with a medical emergency before, it can be helpful to know:

• What to do when you call 911. 
• When to call 911, and when to do something else.
• What will happen after you ask for an ambulance, who will actually arrive on the scene, and how soon.

How does 911 work?

While the number 911 has been in use for emergency response services since the 1960s in the US, it was not standardized across the country until as recently as 1999. Since then, however, the number has been a beacon of hope and safety for people in dire need of help across the country.

Anyone can call 911 from a cellphone or landline, and as long as you have reception, you should be able to dial 911 even without credit on your phone. Increasing numbers of 911 calls are now wireless, and in many cases, it is even possible to send text messages to 911 — something that can be life-saving for people with hearing impairments and those for whom it isn't safe to speak (such as during an active shooter situation). 

When you dial 911, you will be routed to your nearest local public safety answering point (PSAP). Across the US, 911 call centers are managed by either state or local authorities. The 911 dispatcher who answers your call may, depending on your location, be attached to the local fire or police department, or they may work in a dedicated 911 call center.

Some local public safety answering points are equipped to pinpoint the location of anyone who calls emergency services quite precisely, but not all PSAPs have the same technology available.

While exact details will vary, emergency response numbers in other countries will function in similar manners.

When should you call 911 for a medical emergency?

You should call 911 — or whatever your local emergency response number is — for medical reasons in cases of life-threatening or serious situations. Medical emergencies that warrant calling 911, either for yourself or someone else, include:

• Accidents, such as vehicle accidents or workplace accidents, in which someone has sustained a serious injury.
• Serious bleeding that will not subside.
• Chest pains (which could indicate a heart attack or other serious cardiovascular event).
• Severe or prolonged trouble breathing.
• Serious burns.
• Seizures that will not stop.
• Severe mental confusion (often association with a stroke, among other emergencies).
• Severe allergic reactions (anaphylactic shock).
• Someone is giving birth and cannot get to the hospital.

You generally should not call 911 or your local emergency response number for more minor medical emergencies that could also be dealt with in other ways — by driving to the emergency room or calling a non-emergency number, for instance.

What should you tell your 911 operator when you are calling for an ambulance?

People call 911 during some of the worst times of their lives — but if you can stay calm and keep panic at bay, it will be easier for your 911 dispatcher to understand and help you. When the dispatcher answers your call, they will want to know where you are, and gather as many details about the emergency you are facing as possible. So:

• Even if you believe that the 911 call center is able to see exactly where you are, state your location as precisely as possible. That could be an address or, if you are out and about, a detailed description. 
• Describe the nature of the emergency and who it is happening to in detail, but briefly. That might be something like, "My husband complained of chest pains and has collapsed on the floor; he is breathing but unconscious". Or it may be "I was in a vehicle accident with at least two other cars, I am bleeding and can't feel my legs, and my fellow passengers are unresponsive." 

Then, answer the questions your 911 operator asks, and wait for further instructions. If any factors in your environment prevent emergency responders from gaining access to the person suffering a medical emergency, or from removing them from the scene, tell your operator about these, too. This might be a vicious dog, a tall building without an elevator, or a confusing street layout in which all homes look the same, for instance. 

Unless you have absolutely no choice or your 911 dispatcher tells you that you can, do not hang up the call until help arrives.

What to expect when you call 911 and request an ambulance: Is there anything you can do while you wait?

When you dial 911, the person who answers your call will decide what kind of help to dispatch, using an assessment they make based on the information you provide — this is why it is so important to give as many relevant details as you can. In some cases, people will require assistance from the police or fire department as well as an ambulance, but in others, an ambulance is enough.

If only an ambulance is on its way, it will be staffed by at least two people; paramedics and emergency medical technicians who are trained to provide people with life-saving first aid, as well as get them to a hospital.

If you are dealing with a medical emergency in a public area where others are also present, tell others that you have called 911 and are on the phone with them — this will help prevent duplicate calls that could overload the system.

How fast will help arrive?

Response times will vary, not only depending on your location, but also on the severity of the emergency that led you to call 911. According to a 2017 study published in JAMA Surgery, the average time it takes for an ambulance to arrive on scene across the United States is seven minutes for serious medical emergencies. The same is true for the UK, where callers can dial 999.

In rural areas of the US, that time rises to 14 minutes — with one in 10 callers waiting as long as half an hour for an ambulance to get there. 

Your 911 dispatcher should tell you when you can expect the ambulance to arrive. Even in the absence of a medical emergency, however, you can check your local average response times, often online. Especially if they tend to be on the longer side, it is important to realize that, if you witness a life-threatening medical situation, you are the help until the professionals arrive.