What is the next essential piece of information to collect after the address?

• A. What’s the address of the emergency?
• B. What’s the phone number you’re calling from?
• C. What happened to the patient?
• D. How old is the patient?

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is that keeping a line of contact is essential right after you pin down the location. The next piece of information to collect is the phone number you’re calling from because you must be able to reach the caller again if the line is disconnected, if you need to verify details, or if responders need to relay updates or instructions. A callback number also helps confirm the exact address and ensures you can re-contact the caller to gather additional information as the scene unfolds.

Details about what happened to the patient or the patient’s age are important for triage and treatment, but they rely on being able to maintain contact with the caller. Once you have a reliable way to reach them, you can safely obtain those medical details.