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Emergency Medicine & First Aid vocabulary · Emergency Calls

Stay on the line

Meaning in emergency medicine & first aid, with examples

phraseCommon term

In emergency medicine & first aid, stay on the line means: A request to a caller not to hang up, so that the call handler can ask more questions or give instructions until help arrives.

In Turkish: hattan ayrılmayın, telefonu kapatmayın

How it is used

One of the most common phrases in emergency calls. Call handlers also say 'stay on the line with me', 'don't hang up' and 'I'm still here'. 'Hold the line' is slightly different: it means wait to be connected.

Example sentences

  1. Help is on the way. Stay on the line and tell me if anything changes.

  2. The caller stayed on the line for twenty minutes until the crew arrived.

Common collocations

  • stay on the line with me
  • don't hang up
  • hold the line
  • emergency callA phone call to an emergency number, such as 112, 911 or 999, to ask for an ambulance, the police or the fire service.
  • dispatcherA person in an emergency call centre who answers calls, decides what help is needed and sends ambulances or other services.
  • What's your emergency?A standard opening question asked by emergency call handlers, especially in North America, to find out quickly what kind of help the caller needs.

More terms: Emergency Calls

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.