Police officers, fire fighters, and emergency medical personnel are recognized for their
hard work as on-scene responders, however the role of emergency dispatch is easily
overlooked. The stressors that are seen in emergency responder work are also experienced
by emergency dispatchers. While they are not experiencing these emergencies directly, this
presents unique struggles for them.
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.
Kerri Hatt, editor–in–chief of EMS1 magazine, and Anthony Minge, senior partner with Fitch & Associates, discuss the 2020 EMS Trend Report, which continues a five-year effort to identify how EMS providers, managers, and leaders perceive the challenges impacting the sustainability and future of the industry...
Chandy Ghosh and Monica Million, co-founders of NENA's WIN initiative, discuss the need for spaces dedicated to women in 911 as well as WIN's objectives...
Historically, 911 professionals have not received specialized training in dispatch and call management related to mental crises and suicidality. This lack of training may contribute to lack of confidence and elevated anxiety in successfully handling these call types. A new model of training, Emergency Mental Health Dispatching™ (EMHD), which aims to equip 911 professionals to manage these calls has been developed to address this need. The objective of this case study was to measure the impact of EMHD via two specific aims. The first aim...
Isabel talks with Dr. David Rozek, a clinical psychologist at the University of Utah. They discuss similarities between veterans and first responders, what cognitive processing therapy focuses on, and how to begin managing the effects of trauma in your own life right now...
Isabel talks with Dr. Stella Benami, researcher and former emergency dispatcher. They discuss how Dr. Benami's experiences in dispatch inspired her dissertation, the difference between compassion fatigue and burnout, and the biggest factors in the mental health of emergency dispatchers...
Empirical literature examining the health and wellness of emergency responders has continued to grow over the past decade. Yet there is a relative absence of literature on 911 telecommunicators, who are often the "first, first responders" in an emergency. Examination of work-related factors that enhance risk for stress and adverse outcomes may improve current prevention and intervention efforts in this population. Civilian 911 calltakers and dispatchers from the state of California (N = 833) participated in an online study to...
Isabel talks with Rhonda Kelly, ResponderStrong Program Manager at the National Mental Health Innovation Center. They discuss Rhonda's circuitous route to her current career, barriers to emergency responders getting mental health help they need, and where mental health treatment is heading...
