General 911 Information

Call 911

Resist the temptation to go to the hospital by private vehicle. Early intervention improves a patient’s chances of survival and recovery. By using 911, emergency care reaches you sooner.  What’s more, if the patient’s condition worsens en route, there will be no way to care for the patient in the car.

Green or Blue Flashing Lights? Pull Over & Stop!

Emergency personnel are permitted by the State to display flashing lights on their personal vehicle when responding to the scene of an emergency. When you see one in your rear-view mirror, pull over and stop.  Green lights indicate ambulance personnel, and blue is used by firefighters. When you see a vehicle approaching you with one of these flashing lights, please pull over to the right as far as possible and STOP.  This applies whether the vehicle is coming from the front or from behind.  Showing this courtesy to your emergency responders will help them reach the critical scene as safely and rapidly as possible. In addition,be sure to obey “Fire Police”.  At the scene of an emergency, they have police authority.

Paramedics & EMTs

Paramedic Services are required in about half of our transports to provide ALS (advanced life support)  as a supplement to “basic life support” provided by our Emergency Medical Technicians. The network of paramedic service is managed by the hospitals in our region. Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) are trained to provide advanced first aid, oxygen, CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation), and cardiac defibrillator.  A paramedic has a higher level of training and can provide advanced treatments and medication.

While Lyme Ambulance won’t bill you, you will get a bill from the hospital for paramedic services.

Where We Take the Patient and Why

There are state guidelines for selecting the best destination. Lyme Ambulance operates under the constant medical control of Lawrence & Memorial Hospital who ultimately approves the decision.  If patient care is required at another hospital, they can be transferred after receiving immediate and appropriate care from the competent staff at one of the local facilities we serve:

  • Shoreline Medical Center in Westbrook
  • Lawrence & Memorial Hospital in New London
  • Middlesex Hospital in Middletown
  • Backus Hospital in Norwich
  • Marlboro Clinic (for residents of East Haddam)

Do You Have Special Needs?

Whenever there is a local emergency, such as a storm or an event at Millstone, the Lyme Ambulance Association works closely with the Office of Emergency Management to ensure that our residents with special needs receive notification and assistance.

If you or someone you know has impaired vision, hearing, mobility or any other impairment that hinders their ability to act in the event of an emergency, please fill out  a confidential Emergency Assistance Survey Form. You can find the form at the back of the Town’s annual report or by clicking on the link.  Mail the completed form to: Lyme Emergency Management, 480 Hamburg Road, Lyme, CT 06371, or drop off with the Town Clerk at the Lyme Town Hall.

Thank you!