Spotlight: What I Do As a 911 Dispatcher
In the event of an emergency, the first person you speak to may be the dispatcher to answer your 911 call. They are responsible for ensuring that you help you as soon as possible and for informing officers, firefighters or paramedics about situations while they are on the way.
To learn a little about the day-to-day work of emergency dispatchers, we spoke to Cameron West, who, despite sometimes excruciating calls, finds satisfaction in helping people.
First of all, tell us a little about your current job and how long you have been doing it.
I currently work as a rescue dispatcher and have been working for just over a year. We are responsible for calling emergency services, dispatching units (firefighters, paramedics and police) to the scene and keeping everyone informed of what is happening.
What prompted you to choose your career path?
I chose this career because I really wanted to help people, in fact I started to study to become a firefighter, but as a firefighter in my area, you also have to be an emergency medical technician. I opened the EMT textbook and nearly fainted because I can’t handle blood well. I’m glad I found out about this before I got too serious about my studies. My father is a fire chief and was a firefighter when I was growing up and I have always respected him. So, I learned about 911 dispatchers that I never thought of, and invested in it.
How did you get a job? What kind of education and experience did you need?
I was told about the job by a family friend and I just applied, the only requirements for this job were typing speeds above 60 wpm, high school diploma and applicants must be over 21 years old.
What are you doing besides what most people see? Is there a lot of downtime between calls?
A book may be written about what we do that no one sees. We tell the officers where they are and why. We tell firefighters about buildings on fire and people who have fallen and cannot get up. I spend most of my time talking to police officers and letting them know where they need to be. I keep them informed of information relevant to their situation. For example, [if there is] a fight in a bar, we tell the officers who was involved, how much, what they were wearing, in which direction they left, and if they had any weapons. Usually we have between 1 second and 1 hour between calls, depending on the time of day and day of the week.
What misconceptions do people often have about your job?
One misconception that I have noticed is that people believe that we are officers, and at least not in my center, we are not. We are considered public safety, but we are not uniformed officers. We just need to tell them where to go. Another issue that worries me is the Hollywood image of the caller’s response. Our most important information: WHERE ARE YOU? If we do not know, we cannot help you. We don’t say, “911 service, what happened?” We say: “Emergency service, at what address is the emergency service?” and then when we have it, we want to know how we can connect again. We will ask for a phone number in case our Caller ID is down. Many people do not understand this and get upset, but we are here to help.
What misconceptions do people often have about your job? Typical 9-5 thing or not?
Definitely atypical from 9 am to 5 pm. I work 12 pm to 10 pm (noon to 10 pm) Saturday through Tuesday, and most of the time I take overtime to work closer to 60 hours a week. Our center works around the clock and seven days a week. The center hosts Christmas, Thanksgiving and even birthdays, but it’s all worth it.
What personal tips and shortcuts have made your job easier?
My coach gave me one personal piece of advice: “Don’t take things personally. People call on the worst days of their lives and you are their first point of contact. Be like a duck and let the water roll off your back. ” I live by these words when I am at work. I don’t let people get to me, sometimes it’s difficult when the caller is personal and just plain angry, but most of the time you just need to catch your breath and let everything out.
What are you doing differently from your colleagues or colleagues in the same profession?
We have a cool system that dispatches our healthcare professionals as soon as we have enough information about what’s really going on. Thanks to this system, we have the fastest response times in the country. For example, if the caller has an allergic reaction, we first get the address and phone number, then we figure out that he has an allergic reaction, which is all we need to start sending help. We fill in the blanks as we progress. Other centers will collect all information, patient’s age, state of consciousness / breathing / anxiety, severity of reaction, etc., and then send. It takes about a minute more, but this minute can count.
What’s the worst part of a job and how do you deal with it? Some of the calls must cause emotional loss.
The worst thing is to deal with children who need help. When a child is injured, or worse, dies, it always takes a toll on your psychological state. They are really the hardest to deal with, but of course we have to. When something happens especially close to home, we call a briefing and invite those who actually were on the scene to talk to us with a psychologist who will help us better understand the situation. I remember that shortly after the birth of my daughter, I was dealing with a short-lived girl. This was hard. We got her breath and she was fine when she was taken to the hospital and so I am doing this job. I love helping people.
What is the most enjoyable part of the job?
The most enjoyable part of my job is helping people. It always makes the heart feel better and becomes much better. I love to know that I have the opportunity to make someone’s day better. Often times, people are simply under stress, and when they receive the help they need, they calm down. I remember one person who was told by her neighbor that her house was vandalized while she was away. I took the time to reassure her that we would start the report and my officers went out and took care of her house before the landlord returned to town. She wrote us a letter and it was great.
I also remember one father whose job as a child was to shake hands with as many police officers in the state as possible, and we sent them to 14 different agencies. I helped him get four of them as other agencies were busy at the time.
How much money can you expect at your job? Or what is the average starting salary?
We don’t get paid, but that’s enough. I know the cost of living in Utah is cheaper, and so $ 16 an hour is enough to get by (with a lot of overtime) and that’s what I’m earning right now. I started making just under $ 14 an hour. We had the lowest average in this area until our CEO got a big budget increase to start with.
Is there a way to “advance” in your field?
We are constantly moving up. We have a high turnover of staff, and people often leave because of personal problems, other work, and some people simply cannot cope with stress. If you enjoy your job, the only way out is to get up.
What do people underestimate / overestimate in what you do?
I was told that it is easy to work with me, because I have an easy character. I don’t get too stressed out on many things, like when I said, “Be like a duck.” I’m a bit of a joker, not as much as some of the others, but I get along with everyone I work with.
What advice would you give to those who want to become your profession?
Take care of household problems and don’t let them accumulate on you; you won’t be at your best. I personally felt this in my life and can confirm the veracity of these words.
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.