Narrative:

En route from phx to cle, the cockpit received notice that a passenger was having a seizure of some kind. Later the 'a' F/a advised us that she felt the woman's life was in danger, and that we should land as soon as possible. We decided that we were closest to chicago, and we'd land at ord. We declared a medical emergency. During our emergency descent, the F/a's started cpr as our passenger had lost consciousness. With the help of a nurse on board, they had concluded the passenger had had a heart attack. On our descent our company operations was informed of our problem. We requested emergency medical personnel standing by at the gate upon our arrival. The company said it would be set up. On final approach ord tower asked if we would need special assistance. We informed them that our company had contacted the airport emergency medical unit, and that everything was set up. T/D to gate took less than 1 min. Much to our shock and outrage, there was no medical team standing by at the gate. Our station supervisor advised us, upon our inquiry, that they do not respond until the aircraft is on the ground. We were still performing cpr on our passenger, as we waited an additional 11 mins for the airport medical team to arrive. Our emergency descent had taken about 10 mins. We waited on the ground an additional 11 mins for the professional medical help to arrive. We were later informed that the procedure at ord for emergency medical team response actions were for them to wait for the aircraft to arrive at the gate before responding. They said this procedure was adopted as the result of responding to too many false alarms. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated that airport policy is to notify them after the aircraft is on the ground. At that time they are supposed to respond to the request and meet the aircraft at the gate. According to the reporter, their procedure is to call company in the air prior to landing and the company/dispatcher will then call the medical equipment when the aircraft lands. The purpose for this is to not tie up the medical equipment/personnel unnecessarily until the aircraft actually lands. Reporter not sure who dropped the ball (company or airport), but thinks it was the airport. Not much activity going on at that time in the morning. Reporter also not sure who the medical people work for, but thinks the airport. Callback conversation with ord airport fire department revealed the following: analyst talked to ord airport fire department to find out procedure used whenever a medical emergency is called. Ord has 2 ambulances on the airport proper; however, there are times when one, or both may be dispatched to other locations off airport. All notification for medical assistance is routed to a central location in downtown chicago and must be coordinated to the appropriate station, so it is possible there may be some delay. All ambulances and medical personnel that respond are operated by the city, even off airport. The airport does not have a procedure that restricts dispatching medical units until after the aircraft actually arrives at the gate, as perceived by the reporter. They will respond right away and wait for the aircraft if necessary. However, if the aircraft is quite a distance from the airport, they will delay responding until closer in. Normal response time to arrive at the scene is 7 mins.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW COMPLAINT ABOUT EMERGENCY MEDICAL ASSISTANCE RESPONSE AR ORD.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM PHX TO CLE, THE COCKPIT RECEIVED NOTICE THAT A PAX WAS HAVING A SEIZURE OF SOME KIND. LATER THE 'A' F/A ADVISED US THAT SHE FELT THE WOMAN'S LIFE WAS IN DANGER, AND THAT WE SHOULD LAND ASAP. WE DECIDED THAT WE WERE CLOSEST TO CHICAGO, AND WE'D LAND AT ORD. WE DECLARED A MEDICAL EMER. DURING OUR EMER DSNT, THE F/A'S STARTED CPR AS OUR PAX HAD LOST CONSCIOUSNESS. WITH THE HELP OF A NURSE ON BOARD, THEY HAD CONCLUDED THE PAX HAD HAD A HEART ATTACK. ON OUR DSNT OUR COMPANY OPS WAS INFORMED OF OUR PROB. WE REQUESTED EMER MEDICAL PERSONNEL STANDING BY AT THE GATE UPON OUR ARR. THE COMPANY SAID IT WOULD BE SET UP. ON FINAL APCH ORD TWR ASKED IF WE WOULD NEED SPECIAL ASSISTANCE. WE INFORMED THEM THAT OUR COMPANY HAD CONTACTED THE ARPT EMER MEDICAL UNIT, AND THAT EVERYTHING WAS SET UP. T/D TO GATE TOOK LESS THAN 1 MIN. MUCH TO OUR SHOCK AND OUTRAGE, THERE WAS NO MEDICAL TEAM STANDING BY AT THE GATE. OUR STATION SUPVR ADVISED US, UPON OUR INQUIRY, THAT THEY DO NOT RESPOND UNTIL THE ACFT IS ON THE GND. WE WERE STILL PERFORMING CPR ON OUR PAX, AS WE WAITED AN ADDITIONAL 11 MINS FOR THE ARPT MEDICAL TEAM TO ARRIVE. OUR EMER DSNT HAD TAKEN ABOUT 10 MINS. WE WAITED ON THE GND AN ADDITIONAL 11 MINS FOR THE PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL HELP TO ARRIVE. WE WERE LATER INFORMED THAT THE PROC AT ORD FOR EMER MEDICAL TEAM RESPONSE ACTIONS WERE FOR THEM TO WAIT FOR THE ACFT TO ARRIVE AT THE GATE BEFORE RESPONDING. THEY SAID THIS PROC WAS ADOPTED AS THE RESULT OF RESPONDING TO TOO MANY FALSE ALARMS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATED THAT ARPT POLICY IS TO NOTIFY THEM AFTER THE ACFT IS ON THE GND. AT THAT TIME THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO RESPOND TO THE REQUEST AND MEET THE ACFT AT THE GATE. ACCORDING TO THE RPTR, THEIR PROC IS TO CALL COMPANY IN THE AIR PRIOR TO LNDG AND THE COMPANY/DISPATCHER WILL THEN CALL THE MEDICAL EQUIP WHEN THE ACFT LANDS. THE PURPOSE FOR THIS IS TO NOT TIE UP THE MEDICAL EQUIP/PERSONNEL UNNECESSARILY UNTIL THE ACFT ACTUALLY LANDS. RPTR NOT SURE WHO DROPPED THE BALL (COMPANY OR ARPT), BUT THINKS IT WAS THE ARPT. NOT MUCH ACTIVITY GOING ON AT THAT TIME IN THE MORNING. RPTR ALSO NOT SURE WHO THE MEDICAL PEOPLE WORK FOR, BUT THINKS THE ARPT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH ORD ARPT FIRE DEPT REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: ANALYST TALKED TO ORD ARPT FIRE DEPT TO FIND OUT PROC USED WHENEVER A MEDICAL EMER IS CALLED. ORD HAS 2 AMBULANCES ON THE ARPT PROPER; HOWEVER, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN ONE, OR BOTH MAY BE DISPATCHED TO OTHER LOCATIONS OFF ARPT. ALL NOTIFICATION FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE IS ROUTED TO A CENTRAL LOCATION IN DOWNTOWN CHICAGO AND MUST BE COORDINATED TO THE APPROPRIATE STATION, SO IT IS POSSIBLE THERE MAY BE SOME DELAY. ALL AMBULANCES AND MEDICAL PERSONNEL THAT RESPOND ARE OPERATED BY THE CITY, EVEN OFF ARPT. THE ARPT DOES NOT HAVE A PROC THAT RESTRICTS DISPATCHING MEDICAL UNITS UNTIL AFTER THE ACFT ACTUALLY ARRIVES AT THE GATE, AS PERCEIVED BY THE RPTR. THEY WILL RESPOND RIGHT AWAY AND WAIT FOR THE ACFT IF NECESSARY. HOWEVER, IF THE ACFT IS QUITE A DISTANCE FROM THE ARPT, THEY WILL DELAY RESPONDING UNTIL CLOSER IN. NORMAL RESPONSE TIME TO ARRIVE AT THE SCENE IS 7 MINS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.