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Emergency dispatchers are being celebrated this week for the vital role they play in call-taking and dispatching assistance through 911.

These members of the BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) are typically the first point of contact during medical emergencies, who use scripted telephone instructions to guide callers through performing CPR, relieving airway obstructions and delivering babies. Since January, dispatchers have helped deliver at least three babies in B.C. over the telephone.

“The job of dispatchers is both hectic and heroic and their calm decisive voices can have an immense impact,” says Health Minister Terry Lake. 

“I take this opportunity to say thank you to all the emergency medical dispatchers and call-takers that help save the lives of British Columbians every day.”

BCEHS operates three dispatch operation centres around the province (in Kamloops, Vancouver and Victoria).  In 2014, those centres received almost 450,000 911 calls and helped dispatch 95,730 patient transfers.

In addition to working with the caller to identify the nature and location of the medical emergency and providing life-saving instructions, the dispatcher also liaises with ambulance and paramedic crews. Dispatchers also coordinate multi-resource transports where a ferry, water taxi, Search and Rescue team, or a private helicopter company’s assistance is needed.

“It’s a fast-paced, high-volume adrenaline-filled work environment,” says BCEHS Vancouver Dispatch Operations Manager Corinne Begg.

“As that reassuring yet assertive voice on the phone, we are a lifeline for people in extremely stressful situations. Being able to calm a caller and guide them through the situation cooperatively is the most challenging and rewarding part of the job.”

That’s also why call-takers and dispatchers are encouraging parents to teach their children about 911, calling it one of the most important lessons they’ll ever learn.

“It’s heartbreaking when you get a 911 call from a young child who is scared, hurt or needs help for a loved one,” says Jennifer with E-Comm (Emergency Communications for British Columbia).

“You never know when they might need to reach out for help; that’s why it’s so important for kids to learn at an early age what to do in an emergency.”

The group’s top tips for parents include:

• Show your child how to dial 911 on both landlines and cells (dialing can differ between phones)
• Explain when to call 911 in words they can easily understand:
• If your child or someone else is “really sick or hurt”
• If your child “smells or sees smoke or fire”
• If your child feels in danger or “sees someone doing something very bad like stealing or hurting someone”
• Explain to your child that a 911 operator will ask questions about where they are and what is happening. They will send the police, fire department or ambulance to help them.
• Ensure children know where phones are located. Keep cordless phones fully charged and in the same place at all times and within easy reach.
• Teach children their address including apartment numbers and building entry codes and keep that information close to all phones. Remember that landlines provide exact location information (addresses) to 911 but cellphones provide general location information only (no addresses). 
• Role-playing what to do in emergency situations help kids understand what to do and when to call. You can find examples of the kinds of questions 911 staff will ask at www.ecomm911.ca
• Help prevent accidental 911 calls: Never pre-program 911 and don’t let kids play with phones, including old cellphones. Even decommissioned cellphones can still dial 9-1-1 if there is a charged battery. It is important for parents to know that in the event of accidental/prank calls 911 operators will call back and send police when location is determined.
• If you would like to practise dialing 911 with your children, always unplug landline phones or remove batteries from cellphones while doing so (and remember to replace batteries or plug phones back in when you’re done).