In the event of someone having possibly ingested some poison, every state has an emergency call center to help health care professionals and citizens in need of immediate advice on what to do, and how to treat the problem.

During this national Poison Prevention Week, the center in Sioux Falls is reminding people they are available around the clock to assist in the event of poison exposure.

Tammy Noble with Iowa’s Poison Control Center tells KNIA/KRLS News much like a local dispatcher, they’re trained to respond quickly with information on how to treat for a particular substance…or when necessary, direct the caller to 9-1-1 for immediate help.

“The people that answer the phone are specialists in poison information; so these are nurses and pharmacists that are trained in toxicology and poisons, and it’s a pretty extensive training that we go through. So you’re getting expert advice when you call us,” Noble says.

“We’ll ask you several questions like, how old is the person? Sometimes, how much do they weigh? What was the exact substance that they had the exposure to, whether it was a medicine or a chemical?”

All poison centers across the country use the exact same toll-free number for callers, at (800) 222-1222. Iowa’s center also offers informational packets for consumers, to warn them about common hazards and how to prevent anyone from being exposed to them.