Registered nurse Ogechi Ukachu spoke into a telephone headset at the District’s 911 center, fielding an emergency call from a woman complaining about wrist pain.
Ukachu asked yes or no questions to determine the caller’s pain level, any blood loss and other symptoms that could pinpoint the extent of the injury.
After about a dozen answers, Ukachu determined the woman needed a trip to an urgent-care center — not a ride in a D.C. ambulance.
The call was a training exercise, but beginning Thursday morning, registered nurses such as Ukachu will process live calls in a program aimed at reducing the crush of non-emergency medical requests that swamp the 911 system in the District.