LARGO - Pinellas County EMS officials unveiled Wednesday an early-warning system that monitors 911 calls to spot potential public health threats.
County officials hailed FirstWatch as a way to detect biological terrorism, one of the top terrorist concerns of leaders in large cities, according to a survey done by the National League of Cities.
"It's extraordinarily fast when it comes to our recognition and suspicion that something may be going on that's a threat to public health," said Chuck Kearns, director of EMS and fire administration.
The system works by setting up "trigger" symptoms and scenarios of 911 calls. Health officials are then notified by page, cell phone and e-mail with details of the suspicious call.
For instance, bioterrorism triggers would be symptoms like abdominal pain, breathing problems, fainting or unconsciousness.
"It's not just paying off in the case of bioterrorism," said Dr. Laurie Romig, medical director for Pinellas County Emergency Medical Services. "It's paying off day after day."
The system, which will notify several different departments simultaneously, also can be used to track symptoms related to smallpox, SARS or other diseases.
For example, if a number of calls come in from people experiencing a rash, health officials will become aware simultaneously that a possible virus is spreading through a certain area.
It also can be used to track other calls, such as drownings and cardiac arrests, to collect data for public heath campaigns.
Although it won't track patients who report "trigger" symptoms to their primary physicians, health officials say it's a start. They are hoping Pinellas County's use of the software can serve as a model for other counties.
"It's kind of like a community of health and hazards radar," Romig said. "We're that eagle eye view that the Health Department and hospitals may not have."
The 24-hour system works only with 911 calls and doesn't affect the way a call is dispatched.
FirstWatch software cost $25,000, with a continuing annual $4,000 needed for maintenance and upgrades. The county received a grant from the state to fund the program.
So far, only a few agencies nationwide use FirstWatch, including Richmond, Va., Kansas City, Mo., and Fort Wayne, Ind.
