The Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MCDHH), in partnership with the Department of Fire Services (DFS) and Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS), has created a visual tool called the Emergency Services Card (ESC) to assist EMT’s, firefighters and Deaf and hard of hearing individuals communicate better in the first moments of an emergency.
Links and instructions for use are listed below and may be useful for age/dementia friendly community partners to promote locally.
Emergency Medical Personnel can use the icons and communication tips to help:
-determine pain level and location
-determine symptoms, severity and timeframe
-determine relevant medical and recent history
-learn an individual’s preferred method of communication
Firefighters can use the icons and communication tips to help:
-determine location and type of emergency
-determine if other individuals are missing/involved
-communicate immediate specifics regarding a car emergency (jaws of life)
-learn an individual’s preferred method of communication
Deaf or hard of hearing individuals can use the icons to help communicate:
-preferred method of communication
-pain level and location
-symptoms, severity and timeframe
-location and type of home/work/car emergency
-other relevant information
For use in Massachusetts:
Instructions for Emergency Services Card (word)
For use outside of Massachusetts