Ventura County's Fire Dispatchers to Prioritize 911 Calls

In an effort to slash response times, county fire dispatchers are prioritizing medical 911 calls, differentiating between the scraped knees and the massive heart attacks before sending out an emergency crew.

It's a dramatic change from the way ambulance and fire crews have dispatched in the past. Typically, all calls went out as a Code 3--full speed ahead with lights and sirens blaring--even if the emergency was nothing more than someone stuck at home with a nasty flu bug.

The Ventura County Fire Department is one of only a handful of departments in Southern California to use the priority call system.

Most Los Angeles County fire departments still operate under the old system, responding to every 911 call as an emergency. Only the Long Beach and West Covina fire departments prioritize calls.