How does it work?

When you dial 999 and ask for an ambulance the BT operator passes the call through to the East Anglian Ambulance Trusts control centre in Hellesdon. The ambulance operator will ask where the ambulance is required. Once this information is given a dispatcher will start to send an ambulance whilst the operator continues to take details of the call.

The operator will then continue to take details of the emergency, including the details of the patient's condition. The patient's condition is translated into one of a number of codes called AMPDS codes.

The ambulance services computer aided dispatch system will then look at where the call is to see if there is a community first responder scheme in that area. If there is a scheme it will then look at the AMPDS code to determine if the call is one appropriate for a first responder scheme to deal with. If both of these criteria are met the computer will send an SMS message to the schemes cellphone and the responders will go to the call.

The idea is that due to their locality the first responders can get to the patient more quickly than the paramedic ambulance (that is always sent) and make time critical interventions to maximise the patient's chances of survival.