Assessment

Medical Emergencies
What’s the Emergency?
Here are the key details to provide an emergency dispatcher:

1. the type of emergency (what happened)

2. the help you need (ambulance, police, fire)

Tip:
Many 911 centers have emergency translators.
3. t he location of the emergency It may take a bit of time to get one on the line.
(address or intersection) Practice this phrase.

4. t he identity/age of the person "I need help. English is not my

who needs help (if available)
first language. Can anyone there
5. your callback number speak ?"
(English word for your native language)
6. the present state of the situation

Dispatcher’s Questions
Here are some questions emergency
dispatchers ask callers in an emergency:

• What is your emergency?

• Do you need an ambulance? Do you need the police or fire department?

• What is your location? What is the address of the emergency?

• Are you alone?

• Is the patient conscious (alert/awake)?

• Is the patient breathing? Is the patient’s chest moving up and down?

• How old is the patient?

• Is your door unlocked?

*Note:
• Is there a buzzer system at the front entrance? A defibrillator is a life-saving
machine that sends electric
• Is there a defibrillator* in the building?
currents to a person’s heart.
• Do you know what happened?

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 Medical Emergencies
Assessment

How to Describe a Medical Emergency

Work with a partner. Practice the different emergency scenarios.
Look up any words that you don’t know.

Emergency How to Say It

• My stomach is killing me.

abdominal (stomach) pain
• He is having bad abdominal pains.

• I just got into a bad car accident.

accident • I just witnessed a car accident.
• A pedestrian was just hit by a car.

• I am breaking out in hives.

allergic reaction • She is having trouble breathing.
• He has a terrible rash.

• I cut myself really badly. It won’t stop bleeding.

bleeding
• He has a deep wound. We can’t stop the bleeding.

• I am having trouble breathing.

difficulty breathing
• She can't breathe.

• I think I broke my leg.

broken limb
• My daughter’s arm is broken.

• I’m having really bad chest pains.

chest pain (heart attack)
• My grandfather is holding his chest. I think he’s having a heart attack.

• There is something stuck in my throat.

choking (object stuck in throat)
• My daughter is choking.

(near) drowning • A child nearly drowned. She’s not breathing.

• My temperature is 104 degrees.

fever
• She has a really high fever.

• I am in labor.
(suddenly) in labor
• The baby is ready to come now. My wife wants to push.

• I took the wrong pills.

(suspected) poisoning
• My child got into our medicine cabinet.

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 Medical Emergencies
Assessment

How to Describe a Medical Emergency cont.

Emergency How to Say It

seizure • One of my students is having a seizure.

(shaking uncontrollably) • My son is unconscious and shaking.

• I want to commit suicide.

suicide • She is threatening to kill herself.
• He is pointing a gun at himself.

• My child is unconscious.
unconscious
• My neighbor just passed out/fainted.

Dispatcher’s Instructions Medical Instructions

Here are some instructions the dispatcher may give: If you are able, the dispatcher may
ask you to provide medical help.
• Remain calm.
I need you to...
• Don’t panic.

• Stop crying. • check for a pulse.

• Listen carefully. • lay the patient down.

• Speak slowly. • kneel beside the patient.

• Repeat that for verification, please. • cover the patient with a blanket.

• Do not hang up. • open the airway / tilt the patient’s chin back.

• Stay on the line. • give 50 chest compressions.

• Put the phone on speaker. • give two rescue breaths.

• Unlock your door. • give five back blows.

• give five abdominal thrusts.

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 Medical Emergencies
Assessment

Practice
A. Matching

Match the questions and answers.

1. What is the emergency? a) No, we just need an ambulance.

2. What is the location? b) My grandfather stopped breathing.

3. Is there a buzzer system? c) No. He passed out two minutes ago.

4. Is he conscious? d) Main and 7th Avenue.

5. Do you need the police or fire department? e) Yes. I will have to let the paramedics in.

B. What’s the Emergency? C. Comprehension

Read the scenario. How would you answer the dispatcher’s first question? Respond orally to these questions:

911. What’s your emergency? 1. What are the six important

details a dispatcher needs to
1.  ou are driving in your car. You witness a
Y know in a medical emergency?
cyclist getting hit by a car. The cyclist is not moving. 2. Inform an emergency
2. Y
 ou walk out your front door and see a dispatcher that English is
neighbor lying beside his car. He is not breathing. not your first language.

3. You are having dinner with relatives. A child begins choking. 3. What is your answer if a
dispatcher asks your location
4. Y
 ou are at the beach. You see a lifeless adult and you are at home / at
getting pulled out of the water by a child. school / at the mall / at your
5. Y
 ou are alone at home. You begin having heart attack community center or place of
symptoms (sore jaw, severe chest pain, difficulty breathing). worship? (Provide the nearest
crossroads if you don’t know
the exact address.)

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 Medical Emergencies
Assessment

Answer Key
Practice SPELLING NOTES:

This resource shows the American spelling of the words Centers,

A. MATCHING Labor, Neighbor, and Practice. Most other English-speaking

1. b 2. d 3. e 4. c 5. a countries spell these words this way: Centres, Labour, Neighbour,

and Practise (when used as a verb; Practice when used as a noun).

B. WHAT’S THE EMERGENCY ? Make it a challenge for your students to find these words in the
resource and see if they know the alternate spellings.
Answers may vary.

1. I just witnessed a car accident.

A cyclist was hit. He/she is not moving.
2. My neighbor is unconscious on the ground.
I don’t know what happened.
3. A child is choking on some food. We need an ambulance.
4. I ’m at the beach. An adult was pulled out of the water.
I think he/she was drowning.
5. I ’m having chest pain and difficulty breathing.
I think I’m having a heart attack. I’m home alone.

C. COMPREHENSION

1. The six important details are:

• the type of emergency (what happened)
• the help you need (ambulance, police, fire)
• the location of the emergency (address or intersection)
• the identity/age of the person who needs help
(if available)
• your callback number
• the present state of the situation
2. I need help. English is not my first language. Can anyone there
speak (the English word for your student’s native language)?
3. Individual answers.

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