Over the past few days, I’ve been digging deeper into how EMS response times are measured and reported in Troy. After speaking with several people familiar with the dispatch process, I realized there is an important detail that many residents understandably don’t know.
When most people hear that emergency medical services are expected to arrive within six minutes, they assume the clock starts the moment they dial 911. That assumption seems perfectly reasonable. After all, when someone calls for help, the clock in their mind begins immediately.
But that’s not how response time metrics are typically measured. Understanding the difference is important because it affects how the public interprets statements about response times.
What Happens When You Call 911 in Troy
When a resident calls 911 in Troy, the process generally looks something like this:
1. The caller speaks with Troy dispatch.
The dispatcher gathers critical information such as the caller’s location and the nature of the emergency.
2. If the situation is medical, the call is transferred to the EMS provider’s dispatch center.
In Troy’s case, that is Star EMS.
3. The EMS dispatcher asks for the same information again.
Before a unit can be dispatched, the EMS dispatcher typically confirms the location and the nature of the emergency. Only after this information is gathered and a unit is dispatched does the response-time clock typically begin. According the to the limited data Star has produced, that add on average, almost 90 seconds to the call.
Where the Clock Actually Starts
The response-time metric that is often discussed publicly usually measures the time from:
Unit dispatched → Unit arrival on scene
In other words, the clock generally starts when the ambulance is dispatched, not when the 911 call begins. That means there is a period of call processing before the official response-time clock even begins.
During this time, dispatchers are performing an important job: identifying the emergency, gathering accurate information, and routing the call to the appropriate responder. In a system where medical calls are transferred to a separate EMS dispatch center, this can involve multiple steps and repeated questions.
None of that time is necessarily reflected in the reported response-time metric.
Why the Distinction Matters
When residents hear that EMS has a six-minute response-time standard, it is natural to assume that this refers to the total time from dialing 911 to the arrival of help. In reality, the metric usually refers to a narrower portion of the timeline. That doesn’t mean the metric is wrong. It simply means that it measures a specific part of the response process. But if the public is only hearing one number without understanding where the clock starts, it can create confusion about what that number actually represents.
The Full Timeline of an EMS Call
To understand the complete response process, several timestamps are typically involved:
- Call received (when 911 is dialed)
- Dispatch time (when the EMS unit is sent)
- En route time (when the unit begins traveling)
- Arrival time (when the unit reaches the scene)
Each of these points tells part of the story. Without access to all of them, it becomes difficult to understand the full timeline from the moment someone calls for help to the moment EMS arrives.
Why Data Matters
This is why access to the underlying timestamp data is important. If a system is evaluated based on response-time performance standards, those standards should ideally be supported by transparent and verifiable data. Looking at the complete set of timestamps allows policymakers and the public to understand:
- how long calls spend in processing
- how quickly units are dispatched
- how long travel times typically take
- where delays might occur in the system
Having this information doesn’t weaken the system. It strengthens public understanding of how emergency services actually operate.
Transparency Improves Trust
Emergency response systems are complex, and most residents never see the details of how they work. But when performance metrics are discussed publicly, it helps everyone if those metrics are clearly explained and supported by accessible data. Transparency allows residents to understand what the numbers mean, how they are calculated, and how the system performs across the entire timeline of an emergency call.
In the end, that clarity benefits both the public and the professionals who work every day to respond when people need help.