Tips for Determining If It's a Medical Emergency

In 1972, the Detroit Fire Department (DFD) began providing emergency medical transport and treatment to residents of and visitors to Detroit. In 2022, the DFD marked 50 years of providing 24-hour emergency medical services. The department's mission is to provide pre-hospital medical care with a focus on safety, skill, and compassion. In its May newsletter, the DFD concedes that it can be tricky to determine when to seek medical treatment and when to call for an ambulance and offers some guidelines.

The DFD says the first step is to speak with your doctor about emergency planning and deciding i...