Emergencies
What constitutes an emergency that requires a 911 call?
Calling 911
A sober monitor should call 911 for any of the following reasons:
- Alcohol Poisoning (any of the following symptoms call 911 immediately):
- Vomiting repeatedly
- Passed out and not easily roused
- Unresponsive
- Slowed irregular breathing, gasping for air, or hyperventilating
- If someone falls and doesn’t get up (either due to lack of consciousness or inability to move)
- Call 911 immediately and do not move them. This person could have a spinal cord injury and if it is not set properly by an EMT they could have paralysis.
- Head injury
- If someone falls and hits their head and was unconscious for ANY period of time (even just a few seconds), they need to be assessed by a medical professional. They could have a concussion or a subdermal hemorrhage that is life threatening.
- Guest threatening the safety of others
- If a guest is threatening violence or appears to be getting aggressive with other guests, staff or sober monitors, call 911.
- Sober monitors are NOT responsible for breaking up fights, or putting themselves in danger.
What Do I Do After 911 Has Been Called and We Are Waiting for Emergency Services to Arrive?
The most important thing to do while you are waiting for 911 is crowd control. Make sure that EMTs or other emergency personnel have space to move quickly in and out. Your sobers should alert your groupme (which should have your staff included!) and you should begin shutting the party down. There are two universal signs that a party is over (lights turned up all the way, and music turned off). Minglers should help file people away from the scene and lead them out the exits. Stairway people should also help file people out too. Bar service sobers should put away all alcohol. Door people should be looking out for EMS and directing them to the emergency.
Alert the relevant ResEd staffs (e.g. your PM, the RD on Call etc.) as soon as possible. For life threatening emergencies, it is always first priority to call 911, but your first call after that should be to your ResEd staff. They need to be in the know so that they can help you.