1. Evidence-based fatigue management guidelines NASEMSO teamed up with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine to perform a comprehensive evaluation to provide recommendations on how to fight EMS fatigue, such as napping during shifts and using caffeine. The guidelines recommend five practices: Use of fatigue/sleepiness surveys to measure and monitor EMS personnel fatigue. Limit […]
Tag: Dispatcher
We have all heard the stories of the heroic young child who saved his mother’s life by calling 911 and telling the dispatcher what was happening. But how do we teach our own child to be that hero in an emergency? 1. Teach your child how to use your phone. Show the child how to dial […]
While we have all heard the heroic stories of a toddler calling 911 and saving his mother’s life, this type of call is rare. Most young children are hesitant to call 911 and even more reluctant to talk to the stranger on the other end of the line. If you are dispatcher or other type […]
As a 911 dispatcher my theory on talking to anyone in crisis is simple: if you’re talking, you’re alive. Keep suicidal callers talking. For that moment you know they are alive. I ask questions in these three areas:
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Audio: 911 Call for Balloon Boy
One of the biggest challenges EMS professionals and our colleagues in 911 telecommunications face is continuing to ask questions in the face of an improbably story. Take a few minutes and listen to the 911 call from the parents of balloon bay. The dispatcher did a fantastic job of continuing to ask questions that were […]
As an emergency dispatcher, I have heard a wide variety of rescue calls. The worst calls, the ones that cause my immediate increased pulse rate and surge in adrenaline, are the ones involving children. Some of my most memorable calls are for infants that are pulseless non-breathers. I recently had a call for five month […]