From our earliest years we are taught what to do and who to call when someone has a medical emergency. What our parents didn't tell us is that after we dial 911 and share the numbers of the address we practiced so hard to remember is what actually happens next. Unfortunately, in many of Wisconsin's smaller communities over the years the answer to that question has become increasingly unpredictable.

In rural Wisconsin, the question first and foremost on the other end of a 911 call is how many folks were able clear their other life commitments on this day and be ready in the event another h...