Years ago, when I worked in a 911 center, I don’t ever remember hearing the terms “vicarious trauma,” or “compassion fatigue.”
Occasionally “burnout” was mentioned to describe how we felt after long stretches of intense work; although it mostly expressed
years of exhaustion and time spent in the emergency dispatch center. Not much attention was given to the day-to-day stress and
mental trauma that was happening along the way.
Occupational Identity is a term used to describe how a person sees themself as a worker. Researchers have studied how one’s identity at work affects not only one’s occupational success, but their attitudes, experiences, and emotions both inside and outside of the workplace. Our featured research article in this issue, written by Violet (Lisa) Rymshaw, PsyD, provides valuable insights on occupational identity among emergency dispatchers—a profession that is sometimes given short shrift within the realm of emergency services occupations.
Sean Ash, an Emergency Call Handler for the London Ambulance Service NHS Trust discusses how he got into emergency dispatching as well as what it’s like to be a dispatcher with a disability.
Chaplain Russell Myers, Allina Health EMS, talks about the role of chaplains in EMS and emergency dispatch. He discusses research he's conducted about the most stressful EMS calls as well as things to consider when deciding whether to bring a chaplain into your center...
Andre Jones, Assistant Executive Director of Communications and Control Centers for Hamad Medical Corporation, talks about what it's like being in emergency communications in Qatar and dispenses some leadership best practices...
SHOULD WE ASK CALLERS "IS ANYONE PINNED (TRAPPED)?" DURING MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS (MVAs)? We should! The question directs callers to pay attention to what matters most. For a traffic collision, the higher the speed of the vehicle, the higher the chances an occupant suffers severe injuries. After a serious crash, the absorbed kinetic energy can cause the vehicle to deform significantly, displacing parts of the vehicle into the interior. This displacement frequently limits an occupant's ability to move or be removed. When there is need for extrication, deformity and damage hinder an occupant's...
Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) quality can have life-or-death implications. The quality of service provided by PSAPs is inconsistent due to the lack of mandatory standards of care at the national, state, and local levels. Public demands and duties placed on PSAPs have grown due to technological changes, civil cases alleging negligence, and the emergence of national recommended standards of care, yet governments at all levels have been slow to create governance structures to reinforce adherence to standards...
Isabel talks with Kate Dernocoeur, co-writer of Principles of EMD. They discuss how the textbook on EMD was written, the difference between classroom learning and street sense, and the special role of emergency dispatchers in EMS...
With advances in wireless technology, the volume of unintentional calls, or misdials, to 911 call centers has steadily increased over the past 10 years. While call centers have been working to manage call volume, there is very little systematic research on how to develop policy for handling Active Silent calls where callers may be unable to verbally communicate. The primary objective in this study was to first establish how dispatchers manage nuisance calls, and then provide a systematic way of determining how dispatchers can maximize their opportunities...
Isabel talks with Bonni Stockman, the associate director of instructor services for IAED, and Jordan Sebresos, a senior instructional designer for Priority Dispatch. They discuss training needs in a dispatch center, the best methods for educating emergency dispatchers, and the qualities of a good instructor...
