Suppose you are badly hurt in a car accident or suffer a nasty cut, stroke or heart attack. Firefighters and paramedics arrive on the scene. Where will the ambulance take you?

Where an emergency patient goes is determined by a complex set of decisions at the paramedic, firefighter and patient levels.

In the case of a severe injury or major medical issue such as heart attack or stroke, paramedics make the call as to where a patient will go. In other cases, you make the decision in conjunction with a firefighter or emergency medical technician (EMT).

And while the closest hospital, Snoqualmie Valley Hospital, is ready to help you, you may not always get sent there.

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