NEW ORLEANS, La. (WGNO)- We are all trying to figure out our new normal and that goes for emergency operating centers, too.
Call after call, operating centers are getting bombarded with coronavirus questions and concerns.
Before sending an EMT rushing into a potentially infectious situation, the Orleans Parish Communication District is using a new platform, called Carbyn.
It lets the operator and caller talk face to face while being socially distant.
“So instead, we take those low iniquity calls and we have a paramedic staff inside the center with us and they use a video call using Carbyne to really do an assessment of the patient and check the nature of the symptoms to see if they are indeed what they reporting and we give them advice, or what we call an alternative transportation to emergency room visit to help get them out of the ER and also not utilize our resources,” said Tyrell Morris, Orleans Parish Communications District.
“For the citizens, we are giving them a very useful tool without any app installed. They just call to 911. It’s a regular call,” explained Amir Elichai, Carbyne CEO and Founder. “They are going to get the text from us asking permission to use location, video and everything I described and eventually everything will be shared.”
It was simple to use. After calling 911, the operator will send you a link to your phone via text. Once you click the link and follow the instructions, you and the operator will connect within seconds.
“All of this information is going directly to a centralized place and no matter where it’s coming from 911, 311. It’s syncing into this one place and this is very very powerful,” said Elichai.
Using Carbyne, Orleans Parish Communications District will easily know where you are and can access the situation remotely, not putting any first responders in harms way.
“People right now need hope. They need to know that their government is with them and we are all going to get through this together,” said Morris.