Norwich CMED

Norwich CMED is located at American Ambulance Service, Inc.  One American Way Norwich, CT and its dispatchers are also American Ambulance Service dispatchers.

The State of Connecticut is divided into 13 Coordinated Medical Emergency Dispatch centers (CMED's) which serve as communication centers that interconnect Emergency Medical Service (EMS) field personnel with the general hospital emergency departments in their area using the UHF Medical radio system.  Every basic ambulance and paramedic unit in Connecticut is required to be equipped with a two-way radio capable of communicating on the UHF Medical radio system so that EMS personnel can be provided medical direction and control by the emergency department physicians using this network. 

When an ambulance transports a patient to the William W. Backus Hospital Emergency Department located in Norwich, CT they contact Norwich CMED and ask for a “patch to Backus”.  This is done via Med Channel 9 on the two-way UHF Medical radio system.  It is customary to make contact with the hospital prior to arrival in order to notify the hospital that you are en route, to give the hospital information about the patient being transported and to receive patient care instructions if needed.  Dispatchers at Norwich CMED monitor Med Channel 9 and when an ambulance crew requests a “patch” the Dispatcher will then utilize the Zetron radio console to reply to that crew.  The Dispatcher will direct the ambulance crew to switch over to another Med Channel to stand-by for a hospital staff member to pick up their radio located in the Emergency Department.

The Dispatcher then connects the ambulance crew to the hospital by a combination of two-way radio frequencies and dedicated phone circuits.  In order to process the patch, the Dispatcher initiates a tone signal that alerts the hospital staff of an incoming call so that the staff at the hospital can communicate with the ambulance crew.  The primary Med Channel used for a “patch” is Med Channel 3 however, if a “patch” is in progress on that channel, ambulances are then directed to go to Channels 1, 4, or 6 to stand-by until the current “patch” is completed.

Once a “patch” is complete, the dispatcher will then unlink the hospital and ambulance by reversing and releasing the patch.  If another ambulance is standing by on an alternate Med Channel, the appropriate channel is then activated and Backus is alerted via tone that another ambulance is waiting to give report and/or for patient instructions.

A single frequency, VHF high band system which is known as the “MEDNET” (Medical Network) connects the various CMED's together and is used for the coordination of emergency medical resources in case of a Disaster or Mass Casualty Incident (MCI).  It is also used for one dispatch center to contact another should they require assistance and for routine incident coordination purposes.  The current VHF MED radio system in use now is over 25 years old.

In addition to the radio system mentioned above, Norwich CMED also operates a satellite voice communications network known as “MEDSAT” (Medical Satellite) which is coordinated through the Connecticut Department of Public Health.  The system links all of the general hospitals, the Connecticut Hospital Association, the State Office of Emergency Management, the State’s 13 CMED's, and the Department of Public Health together via a dedicated telephone and radio communications system.  The system functions without having to rely on an existing wired line or commercial electrical power utilities and was purchased with federal Bio-terrorism funds.