Editing Emergency (section)

==Systems of classifying emergencies==
Agencies across the world have different systems for classifying incidents, but all of them serve to help them allocate finite resource, by prioritising between different emergencies.{{Citation needed|date=May 2007}}

The first stage of any classification is likely to define whether the incident qualifies as an emergency, and consequently if it warrants an emergency response. Some agencies may still respond to non-emergency calls, depending on their remit and availability of resource.  An example of this would be a fire department responding to help retrieve a cat from a tree, where no life, health or property is immediately at risk.

Following this, many agencies assign a sub-classification to the emergency, prioritising incidents that have the most potential for risk to life, health or property (in that order).  For instance, many ambulance services use a system called the [[Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch System]] (AMPDS) or a similar solution.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tampagov.net/dept_fire/rescue_division/general_info/advanced_medical_priority_dispatch.asp |title=Tampa Fire Department EMS dispatch details |access-date=2007-05-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060505220614/http://www.tampagov.net/dept_fire/rescue_division/general_info/advanced_medical_priority_dispatch.asp |archive-date=May 5, 2006 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.londonambulance.nhs.uk/helpweoffer/help1.html |title=London Ambulance Service details of AMPDS use |access-date=2007-05-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070130163345/http://www.londonambulance.nhs.uk/helpweoffer/help1.html |archive-date=2007-01-30 |url-status=dead }}</ref>  The AMPDS categorises all calls to the ambulance service using it as  either 'A' category (immediately life-threatening), 'B' Category (immediately health threatening) or 'C' category (non-emergency call that still requires a response).  Some services have a fourth category, where they believe that no response is required after clinical questions are asked.

Another system for prioritizing medical calls is known as Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.911dispatch.com/info/emd/index.html|title=EMD Resources|access-date=2007-07-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://health.utah.gov/ems/stdseval/training/emd_curriculum_trainee.pdf |title=EMD Training Guide |publisher=Utah Bureau of Emergency Medical Services |date=January 2005 |access-date=2007-07-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070925174249/http://health.utah.gov/ems/stdseval/training/emd_curriculum_trainee.pdf |archive-date=2007-09-25 }}</ref>  Jurisdictions that use EMD typically assign a code of "alpha" (low priority), "bravo" (medium priority), "charlie" (requiring [[paramedic|advanced life support]]), delta (high priority, requiring [[advanced life support]]) or "echo" (maximum possible priority, e.g., witnessed cardiac arrests) to each inbound request for service; these codes are then used to determine the appropriate level of response.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/ems/files/demsocreport2005.txt|title=DEMSOC Annual Report - 2005|publisher=Delaware Emergency Medical Services Oversight Council|year=2005|access-date=2007-07-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emergencydispatch.org/JOURNAL/articles/UsingECHO.html |title=Using the ECHO Determinant |author=Brian Dale |access-date=2007-07-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040904075414/http://www.emergencydispatch.org/JOURNAL/articles/UsingECHO.html |archive-date=September 4, 2004 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emergencydispatch.org/articles/themostofEMS.htm|title=EMD: Making the Most of EMS|author=Jeff J. Clawson|access-date=2007-07-08|archive-date=2007-08-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070810164058/http://www.emergencydispatch.org/articles/themostofEMS.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Other systems (especially as regards [[Emergency management|major incident]]s) use objective measures to direct resource.  Two such systems are [[CHALET|SAD CHALET]] and [[ETHANE]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/40001331|title=Patient Plus reference to CHALET and ETHANE systems|access-date=2007-05-30|archive-date=2007-09-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927173039/http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/40001331|url-status=dead}}</ref> which are both mnemonics to help emergency services staff classify incidents, and direct resource.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.leslp.gov.uk/firstoff.htm |title=London Emergency planning committee use of CHALET |access-date=2007-05-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626114729/http://www.leslp.gov.uk/firstoff.htm |archive-date=2007-06-26 |url-status=dead }}</ref>  Each of these acronyms helps ascertain the number of casualties (usually including the number of dead and number of non-injured people involved), how the incident has occurred, and what emergency services are required.