FAQs
We are on standby to help answer any questions that you may have about us staffing your event! Click to contact us.
1. Why does it make sense to have on-site medical staff?
- In nearyly any emergency situation, especially when minutes count, having qualified, equiped and on-site EMT or Paramedics can save a life. When you hire MedEvent911 to provide on-site medical services at your event or business, you reduce emergency response time by as much as 90%. That's because we're right there, no more than a few steps away. There's no waiting, under normal circumstances what would feel like an eternity for the local fire or emergency medical services to respond.
- In exact situations like the one we faced at the Cinco de Mayo celebration in downtown Phoenix on a busy Sunday, minutes really do count. In fact, in this circumstance were a matter of life and death. A professional BMX biker (Josh Hult) was showing off his stunts when he crash-landed on top of his bike, puncturing a lung. His blood pressure cratered. Less than thirty seconds away, the MedEvent911 paramedic team was able to respond, assess, and recognize the need to perform a life-saving emergency procedure. The physician at St Joseph's Trauma Center stated had we not been there, this young man probably would have died within a few minutes and credited us with saving his life.
- This was an extremely rare emergency. The truth is, a majority of the medical needs at nearly all the events we cover, need nothing more than a competitent assessment and quick skilled interventions; from a bandaid to administering a breathing treatment for an asthma attack. All of this is within our scope of practice and expertice.
- Professional, highly-trained on-site medical staff keep the focus on your event. Think back to an event where an ambulance or fire truck had to be called. It never matters how great the performer is, or how exciting the game, or what else is going on, everyone's focus shifts to the fire trucks, police cars, and ambulances and the entourage of police officers, firefighters, and paramedics that appear on the scene. Nothing will distract and change the focus of your event like that. That doesn't happen when you have MedEvent911 staffing your event. Even when a medical emergency occurs, our professional medical staff (trained to the same level, or higher, as anyone responding to a 911 call would be) address the situation quietly, non-invasively, without disrupting the event. That is good for your event, good for your attendees, and good for the patient (who never appreciates gawkers).
- Having MedEvent911 staff your event gives you peace of mind so you can focus on running your event. Knowing that you have highly-trained medical professionals on-site with all of the same training and equipment as emergency responders on a fire truck or ambulance should give you a lot of peace of mind. Life-threatening medical emergencies at events are fortunately rare, but they do happen. Rely on MedEvent911 for peace of mind knowing that should the unthinkable occur, we'll be there.
- Being there for non-emergencies matters too. For one, when attendees have minor medical issues, they can come see us instead of having to leave the event. MedEvent911 was there for the Milwaukee Brewers at Spring Training, the BPOE Elks Convention, and the Arizona Senior Olympics, with salve and a bandage for a blister; ice and a wrap for a sprained ankle; fluids for dehydration and heat exhaustion.
- When attendees have a safe and comfortable experience, they're more likely to come back. If attendees can get their blister or minor cut taken care of on-site, then enjoy the rest of the event, isn't that a dramatically better experience than if they have to go off-site just for minor medical attention?
2. What are the different provider levels offered by MedEvent911?
We have personnel at nearly every level of healthcare including:
- Lifeguards
- Emergency Medical Technicians – EMTs
- Paramedics
- Athletic Trainers
- Nurses
- Nurse Practitioners
- Physicians
- Specialty Physicians
3. What level service is appropriate for my event?
That determination depends on many event "factors", but together we can determine if your need is simply at a basic EMT or paramedic level, up to a full-scale multi-team operation to a mobile urgent care facility. One size doesn't fill all!
4. What are the factors I need to consider when determining the level of medical services at my event?
There are several event dynamics which are important in determining the level of service needed or required;
- The overall square footage of the event (fence line). This determines the response time for the crew with either their walking distance or cart riding distance and accessibility
- Total number of attendees, including staff, contracted workers, vendors, patrons, support staff, anyone that would be considered within the "fence line" of the event
- The demographics of the attendees, very old or very young dramatically increase the potential of incidents
- The type or nature of the event and its' potential for producing illness or injuries (Hazards, risks etc).
- Is alcohol being served? For obvious reasons
- Time of year. Events held here in Arizona during our summer months can be extremely dangerous.
- No specific aspect of the hazards are considered exclusive or is considered greater, it is the combination of the factors that are key to the determination of the overall risk of the event.
Our Event Coordinators have in some cases decades of providing emergency medical services to events and venues all over the state. Combined with our experience in serving a wide variety of events, we can help tailor the "right" level of protection and help you stay within budget.
5. Who can help me determine the risk and needs?
- MedEvent911 has collectively decades of experience providing emergency medical services for all types of hazards and events and we have the resources to assist you with choosing the most appropriate level of "first-aid" suited for your event or situation.
- We take into consideration previous experience at like events, and can provide you with a cost/benefit and overall risk/liability assessment.
6. What is the difference between the local Emergency Medical Services and MedEvent911's On-Site Medical Services?
- NONE – The service we provide is identical in equipment and staffing to many local ambulance or fire department responses.
- Ours is without the disruption and distraction of a "lights & siren" response from the local EMS.
7. What is the benefit of having MedEvent911 at your event?
RESPONSE TIME – When you contact the local emergency medical service via 911 or other appropriate means, there are several time factors involved.
- Notification Time – Time from call to dispatching agency to notification of closest appropriate EMS unit – 30-90 seconds
- Response Time – From notification via dispatch, the time to board the apparatus (30-60 seconds) and travel via the shortest route to the address given (3 – 10 minutes)
- Access Time – Arrive at address, gather gear and walk to the location of the patient – (30 seconds – 3 minutes)
- Total Time – up to 30 minutes
MEDEVENT911 RESPONSE TIME – Whether by personal contact, radio or cell phone, our "boots" are immediatly hitting the ground and our personnel will arrive in seconds, not minutes. All without the disruption and distraction of a massive "lights & siren" response into your event.
8. Besides a location to stage, what equipment or additional resources do I need to provide MedEvent911?
Every event is different! Depending on the size and complexity, you may only need to provide us with a chair or small space, all the way up to an enclosed tent (exact size depends on event size), a shade structure, or privacy room for MedEvent911 staff to assess and/or treat a guest in private.
The following list may be required and supplied by the event, but for a nominal fee MedEvent911 can provide for each of the following if the event requires it;
- Ice & Water
- Golf cart/ UTV vehicles
- Ambulance/s
- 10X10 Enclosed Tent
- Electrical power
- Tables
- Chairs
- Trash container
- Adequate/appropriate lighting
- Radios to communicate with event security during medical emergencies
Proximity to bathrooms is also an important consideration in planning the physical layout of your event site.
Depending on the size and type of event, it is important that the first aid "tent/area" be located, and easily accessible to both the general public at the event and by emergency responders such as fire and ambulance personnel (should the need arise).
Parking for our staff or their response vehicles.
9. I'm thinking of having my friend/neighbor who is an EMT staff my event. Is this a good idea?
While it's important to look out for the well being of your event participants and being prepared for emergencies, there are a number of reasons why this could be dangerous to you, the event and even your participants. Here are some reasons why:
- Liability - One of the most important considerations is the liability exposure for your event and your organization if someone were to get seriously hurt or die. Most "Good Samaritan, EMT's, Paramedics, or Nurses, don't have business licenses or individual, personal, or professional liability insurance and thus may be operating illegally or with you at risk.
- Medical Direction – Only those advanced level EMT's with hospital base station agreements can operate to their level of certification, otherwise they could be "practicing medicine without a license", which further exposes liability to the venue or promoter. Medical direction is required for any Paramedic, or Nurse to work since they require oversight from a physician. In addition to having all of these considerations covered, MedEvent911 provides the venue and the event with contractual liability indemnification and workers compensation protection.
- Equipment - Additional liability exists if off-duty medical staff is not properly equipped for the size and/or type of events. For example, regardless of size regardless of size or type of event, do they have oxygen, or an automatic external defibrillator (AED)? These and several other basic medical tools and supplies that may require medical direction for non-physician medical staff to legally obtain and use.
- Professionalism - The confidence in having a highly visible and capable medical staffing provider for your event sets a level of professionalism for your event.
- Experience – MedEvent911's leadership has nearly 4 decades of experience specifically in the special events and medical staffing environment. We are experts at gathering and evaluating emergency medical services, communications, resource allocation and deployment. While most medical professionals are caring, compassionate, and experienced in their specialty, in the many cases MEDEVENT911 has observed, off-duty EMTs usually don't have the professional medical field experience or the specialized knowledge to properly manage your events.