Narrative:

We had just been cleared direct the intersection on the arrival and in our initial descent approximately 65-70 mi east of ZZZ; the #1 flight attendant informed me there was an unconscious passenger. The first officer was flying; I made a PA to ask for a medical doctor. Based on the time required to descend from altitude to land at an airport east of ZZZ; I decided ZZZ on a time basis was as good as any airport and especially considering the facilities and support I thought I would get at ZZZ. I declared an emergency and was cleared direct ZZZ by ARTCC. At approximately 45 mi east of ZZZ; I was able to contact dispatch; the time was XA45. I asked him to call ramp control to make sure I had 1) an open gate; 2) ground crew standing by; and 3) paramedics standing by. I talked with the dispatcher on the phone after the flight and he verified that he called ZZZ ramp at approximately XA45. While in approach control airspace approximately 12 NM due east of the OM for the runway; I was given a northerly heading. I asked the controller if she realized I was an emergency aircraft. She stated yes; but that it would be about an 18 mi final. I don't recall the reason she gave. I told her negative; I was proceeding to the OM and was landing. She then gave me a vector to intercept the localizer just outside the OM. On final; I used #2 radio to call ramp control to inform them we were a few mins from touchdown and subsequent gate arrival. We were assigned a gate. After touchdown tower cleared us to the ramp on their frequency. We contacted ramp once again and informed them we would be there momentarily. Upon reaching the gate there were no guide men standing by. I had to exercise my emergency authority/authorized to deviate from procedures and proceed toward the gate without any guide men. As I did so; they came running out; and I did have a marshaller for the last few ft. As the agent was bringing the jetbridge up; I opened my side view window and asked him where the paramedics were. He didn't know anything about it! I called ATC ground control on the radio and asked them to call for paramedics. The time was XA59. The dps arrived in a couple of mins and the paramedics were just a couple of mins behind him. I was told by the dps officer that both he and the paramedics received the call at the same time; which was after I called ground to summons help; after I heard that the agent did know anything about the medical emergency. It is clear that they dropped the ball and our system broke down; with regard to the guide men ready and waiting to meet the medical emergency aircraft and the lack of notification to the paramedics. In a medical emergency; seconds can be the difference between a good outcome or a tragic ending. As a captain I would like to know that the unacceptable company response to this medical emergency will be immediately addressed and corrected and the next medical emergency response will be given the top priority it requires. Our customers deserve that much from our airline.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLT CREW HAS MEDICAL EMERGENCY WITH LANDING AT INTENDED DESTINATION AFTER DECLARING EMERGENCY. AFTER LANDING THE FLT CREW DISCOVERS THAT THE STATION IS NOT AWARE OF THE MEDICAL EMERGENCY AND MAKE THEIR OWN CALL FOR PARAMEDICS.

Narrative: WE HAD JUST BEEN CLRED DIRECT THE INTXN ON THE ARR AND IN OUR INITIAL DSCNT APPROX 65-70 MI E OF ZZZ; THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT INFORMED ME THERE WAS AN UNCONSCIOUS PAX. THE FO WAS FLYING; I MADE A PA TO ASK FOR A MEDICAL DOCTOR. BASED ON THE TIME REQUIRED TO DSND FROM ALT TO LAND AT AN ARPT E OF ZZZ; I DECIDED ZZZ ON A TIME BASIS WAS AS GOOD AS ANY ARPT AND ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE FACILITIES AND SUPPORT I THOUGHT I WOULD GET AT ZZZ. I DECLARED AN EMER AND WAS CLRED DIRECT ZZZ BY ARTCC. AT APPROX 45 MI E OF ZZZ; I WAS ABLE TO CONTACT DISPATCH; THE TIME WAS XA45. I ASKED HIM TO CALL RAMP CTL TO MAKE SURE I HAD 1) AN OPEN GATE; 2) GND CREW STANDING BY; AND 3) PARAMEDICS STANDING BY. I TALKED WITH THE DISPATCHER ON THE PHONE AFTER THE FLT AND HE VERIFIED THAT HE CALLED ZZZ RAMP AT APPROX XA45. WHILE IN APCH CTL AIRSPACE APPROX 12 NM DUE E OF THE OM FOR THE RWY; I WAS GIVEN A NORTHERLY HDG. I ASKED THE CTLR IF SHE REALIZED I WAS AN EMER ACFT. SHE STATED YES; BUT THAT IT WOULD BE ABOUT AN 18 MI FINAL. I DON'T RECALL THE REASON SHE GAVE. I TOLD HER NEGATIVE; I WAS PROCEEDING TO THE OM AND WAS LNDG. SHE THEN GAVE ME A VECTOR TO INTERCEPT THE LOC JUST OUTSIDE THE OM. ON FINAL; I USED #2 RADIO TO CALL RAMP CTL TO INFORM THEM WE WERE A FEW MINS FROM TOUCHDOWN AND SUBSEQUENT GATE ARR. WE WERE ASSIGNED A GATE. AFTER TOUCHDOWN TWR CLRED US TO THE RAMP ON THEIR FREQ. WE CONTACTED RAMP ONCE AGAIN AND INFORMED THEM WE WOULD BE THERE MOMENTARILY. UPON REACHING THE GATE THERE WERE NO GUIDE MEN STANDING BY. I HAD TO EXERCISE MY EMER AUTH TO DEVIATE FROM PROCS AND PROCEED TOWARD THE GATE WITHOUT ANY GUIDE MEN. AS I DID SO; THEY CAME RUNNING OUT; AND I DID HAVE A MARSHALLER FOR THE LAST FEW FT. AS THE AGENT WAS BRINGING THE JETBRIDGE UP; I OPENED MY SIDE VIEW WINDOW AND ASKED HIM WHERE THE PARAMEDICS WERE. HE DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT! I CALLED ATC GND CTL ON THE RADIO AND ASKED THEM TO CALL FOR PARAMEDICS. THE TIME WAS XA59. THE DPS ARRIVED IN A COUPLE OF MINS AND THE PARAMEDICS WERE JUST A COUPLE OF MINS BEHIND HIM. I WAS TOLD BY THE DPS OFFICER THAT BOTH HE AND THE PARAMEDICS RECEIVED THE CALL AT THE SAME TIME; WHICH WAS AFTER I CALLED GND TO SUMMONS HELP; AFTER I HEARD THAT THE AGENT DID KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE MEDICAL EMER. IT IS CLEAR THAT THEY DROPPED THE BALL AND OUR SYS BROKE DOWN; WITH REGARD TO THE GUIDE MEN READY AND WAITING TO MEET THE MEDICAL EMER ACFT AND THE LACK OF NOTIFICATION TO THE PARAMEDICS. IN A MEDICAL EMER; SECONDS CAN BE THE DIFFERENCE BTWN A GOOD OUTCOME OR A TRAGIC ENDING. AS A CAPT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT THE UNACCEPTABLE COMPANY RESPONSE TO THIS MEDICAL EMER WILL BE IMMEDIATELY ADDRESSED AND CORRECTED AND THE NEXT MEDICAL EMER RESPONSE WILL BE GIVEN THE TOP PRIORITY IT REQUIRES. OUR CUSTOMERS DESERVE THAT MUCH FROM OUR AIRLINE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.