SMS locator, video and mobile emergency - FlagMii EML

Photo: www.tgcom24.it

childbirth-bologna

“I decided to call the father-to-be to and activate the FlagMii®EML platform, which allows us to make video calls with people in order to have a better view of what is happening, much more precise, and to be able to guide their actions.”

Elisa Nava, nurse of the 118 Bologna Emergency Service

“I got this link that immediately started the smartphone camera and together we managed to do everything. It was truly an exceptional thing because we didn’t think we could do it.”

Matteo – Alex’s father

Using FlagMii® EML in EMS Control Rooms is often crucial to saving lives. The story of Elisa Nava and little Alex instead tells a story where FlagMii® EML helped life to begin, the story of a childbirth.

Elisa Nava is a nurse from the 1-1-8, the Italian EMS. She works at the 1-1-8 Control Room in Bologna (Italy) that, like many other Control Rooms in Italy, employs the FlagMii® EML system for localization and call assistance. In the night between 1st and 2nd January 2021, during the Coronavirus pandemic, Elisa received a request for help from a young couple expecting their child.

The birth was imminent, and the EMS operators decided to send the ambulance directly to the home of the two young people. At the same time, however, it was important to start controlling the situation, also due to the state of anxiety of the father.

Photo: OrdineInfermieriBologna, Pagina Facebook / TGCOM24

Bologna - childbirth assistance

Thanks to FlagMii EML, nurse Elisa Nava immediately started the live video link with the young couple’s home and in this way, she was able to guide live the phases of the birth, which took place even before the ambulance arrived. Through the video channel managed by the platform, the EMS operator guided the father-to-be, who improvised as an obstetrician, in assisting the birth and supporting his partner. In these situations, being able to see the live scene and observing whether the person involved is correctly carrying out the instructions that are given becomes very important for the success of the operation.

The case of Alex, the child born thanks to this perfect synergy between technology, professionalism of the EMS team and the ability of parents to stick to the expert guidance of responders, is one of the most beautiful examples that fill us with pride. The Italian Society of Territorial Emergency Nurses and the Coordination of the Orders of Nurses of Emilia-Romagna share this opinion and, on 21 February 2021, the Regional Health Councillor of Emilia-Romagna, Raffaele Donini, conferred Elisa Nava and Daniele Celin an award.

“Daniele and Elisa represent the strong point of a system that is made up of skills, professionals, organization, know-how and is made up of technology

Pietro Giurdanella – President of the Coordination of Nurses of Emilia-Romagna

Photo: www.ansa.it

Pietro Giurdanella

HOW DOES IT WORK?

1 – The call-taker evaluates the severity of the reported situation and realizes that it is necessary to see the intervention scene first-hand.

2 – The call-taker sends a special SMS to the mobile phone of the caller. The SMS is sent by the FlagMii®EML platform and contains the link to start the enhanced features.

3 – The caller clicks the link and opens a web page, as he does when surfing the web. He does not have to download any apps, he just clicks the link. Through this simple action, the phone is geolocated and a direct connection is established between the phone and the call-taker workstation.

4 – The call-taker invites the caller to start the video and to point the mobile phone towards the scene, as if shooting a very ordinary video with the smartphone.

5 – The live video appears on the workstation in the Operations Centre and the call-taker can better assess the severity, ask to observe important details and observe the state of agitation of the people.

6 – Meanwhile, the ambulance can be accurately directed on the spot thanks to the geolocation performed by FlagMii®EML.

In addition to secondary Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) such as the 1-1-8 emergency number, in Italy FlagMii®EML is also used for 1-1-2 Emergency Number control rooms, that is the first telephone filter for any type of emergency.