Narrative:

Flight contacted me west of ict to advise of a developing medical situation. A phone patch was established between a doctor on board the aircraft and the company duty doctor. There was an 82 yr old female passenger on board with chest pains, dizziness, disorientation and weakness on left side. Passenger was diabetic and had history of stroke at age 40. Both doctors agreed that we needed to land as soon as possible and have paramedics meet the flight. A diversion to xyz was initiated and I attempted to contact xyz operations to advise them of the diversion and to have paramedics standing by. No one answered on the operations line and, in fact, there was an answering machine. Just as I was calling the FAA tower to have them call out the paramedics, operations advised me they were able to contact someone in xyz and advise them of the diversion and need for paramedics. This is not the first time that I have had difficulty contacting someone in xyz and advise them of the diversion and need for paramedics. This is not the first time that I have had difficulty contacting someone at an on-line station in an emergency and that is not an acceptable situation. There should be a cell phone or pager number where the dispatcher can reach station personnel immediately in an emergency. The purpose of this report is not to be critical of xyz operations. This is in fact a system wide problem. Operations personnel have many duties to perform at line stations, which take them out of the operations office, but there is no reason that they shouldn't have a page or cell phone where dispatch can reach them. This problem needs to be addressed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR, A DISPATCHER, IS UNABLE TO CONTACT STATION OPS PERSONNEL AT AN ARPT TO WHICH HE NEEDED TO DIVERT DUE TO A MEDICAL EMER.

Narrative: FLT CONTACTED ME W OF ICT TO ADVISE OF A DEVELOPING MEDICAL SIT. A PHONE PATCH WAS ESTABLISHED BTWN A DOCTOR ON BOARD THE ACFT AND THE COMPANY DUTY DOCTOR. THERE WAS AN 82 YR OLD FEMALE PAX ON BOARD WITH CHEST PAINS, DIZZINESS, DISORIENTATION AND WEAKNESS ON L SIDE. PAX WAS DIABETIC AND HAD HISTORY OF STROKE AT AGE 40. BOTH DOCTORS AGREED THAT WE NEEDED TO LAND ASAP AND HAVE PARAMEDICS MEET THE FLT. A DIVERSION TO XYZ WAS INITIATED AND I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT XYZ OPS TO ADVISE THEM OF THE DIVERSION AND TO HAVE PARAMEDICS STANDING BY. NO ONE ANSWERED ON THE OPS LINE AND, IN FACT, THERE WAS AN ANSWERING MACHINE. JUST AS I WAS CALLING THE FAA TWR TO HAVE THEM CALL OUT THE PARAMEDICS, OPS ADVISED ME THEY WERE ABLE TO CONTACT SOMEONE IN XYZ AND ADVISE THEM OF THE DIVERSION AND NEED FOR PARAMEDICS. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAVE HAD DIFFICULTY CONTACTING SOMEONE IN XYZ AND ADVISE THEM OF THE DIVERSION AND NEED FOR PARAMEDICS. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAVE HAD DIFFICULTY CONTACTING SOMEONE AT AN ON-LINE STATION IN AN EMER AND THAT IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE SIT. THERE SHOULD BE A CELL PHONE OR PAGER NUMBER WHERE THE DISPATCHER CAN REACH STATION PERSONNEL IMMEDIATELY IN AN EMER. THE PURPOSE OF THIS RPT IS NOT TO BE CRITICAL OF XYZ OPS. THIS IS IN FACT A SYS WIDE PROB. OPS PERSONNEL HAVE MANY DUTIES TO PERFORM AT LINE STATIONS, WHICH TAKE THEM OUT OF THE OPS OFFICE, BUT THERE IS NO REASON THAT THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE A PAGE OR CELL PHONE WHERE DISPATCH CAN REACH THEM. THIS PROB NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.

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.