There are over 250 million calls to the 911 system each year, and they are your first line of defense as they send dispatchers to you. They translate the call, take action by deploying a team, and ensure that you receive help as quickly as possible. It’s an emotionally charged, stressful, and lengthy job with shifts lasting 16 hours at a time. But there are secrets that the public doesn’t know, and we’re here to give them to you.
Accidental Dialing
Cell phones often dial accidentally, and it causes problems. It has been estimated that around half of the calls to 911 in New York are accidental dials and not true emergencies. That means resources are being wasted, and real calls may not be able to get through. However, occasionally, the pocket dial comes in handy, as in a case where a police chase was underway and the suspect pocket-dialed, revealing their entire plan to the police, which allowed them to capture the suspect.
Lying
A police dispatcher has been trained to detect if someone is lying, and many people do. Callers will lie and say guns have been fired when they haven’t, claim that someone has a weapon when they don’t, or an abuser might get hold of the phone, begin to lie, and then hang up. The dispatcher’s job is to use strategic questions to determine the truth.
True Emergency
On busy days, dispatchers are estimated to receive approximately 500 calls. They answer every one of them, but not all of them are emergencies. It could be people with low coping skills or those who struggle to change the batteries in their fire alarm. Some have even called because they forgot where they parked their car at the mall. The irrelevant calls make it harder for real ones to get through, and in some cases, there are penalties now for making calls without a genuine emergency.
Your Location
One thing that can help in an emergency is knowing your location. It often happens that people don’t know where they are, and it’s a regular occurrence. You don’t know when disaster is going to strike, so chances are, you won’t pay attention to street signs or landmarks, but you should because it takes longer to find you if you can’t help the dispatcher.
No Closure
One of the hardest things about being a dispatcher is that there is never any closure. The dispatcher doesn’t know what happens after they hang up on you, and chances are, they’ll never find out. So they have these intense moments with people, and once it’s over, it’s over, and they have to answer the next call. It can be incredibly difficult for them.
Football
Believe it or not, when injuries or even heart attacks happen during the Super Bowl or other sporting events, no one calls. However, as soon as it’s over, the dispatchers get calls immediately, and you’ll have everything from a significant injury to a heart attack, but they didn’t call because they didn’t want to miss part of the game.
PTSD
According to studies done over the years, the calls are so traumatic that dispatchers are at risk for PTSD. They are routinely exposed to traumatic calls and events, and as a result, the experiences stay with them. One dispatcher admitted they heard a man take his last breath after someone assaulted him, and it’s stayed with them ever since.
Family Calls
The one thing that can potentially break a 911 dispatcher is a family call regarding children. In particular, emergencies involving babies. A former dispatcher admitted that everyone hates baby calls because it’s usually a situation where the child isn’t breathing. When the worst happens, they acknowledge that they can’t always let those emotions go.
Regular Callers
Dialing 911 isn’t like ordering a pizza; you shouldn’t call 911 regularly unless you have a genuine emergency. However, they do have regulars who know them by name. They’ll remember them and can often guess how the call will go. For instance, a history of mental illness or alcoholism might determine how the person calling is going to ask for help.
They’re Creative
Many dispatchers are creative individuals. Some have been known to be writers, musicians, or have a host of other talents while doing this job. One person mentioned that they had half a dozen dispatchers who were published authors, but they couldn’t make enough money from it, so they worked as dispatchers on the side.
A Lot Quit
While the salary for a 911 operator is considered good, at around $45,000, many operators quit. It’s challenging to find someone who can handle the stress, long hours, and other job-related issues. For instance, most academies start with about nine or ten people at the beginning, and by the time it’s over, they have three or four, or in some cases, even less.
Calming
One of the most significant aspects of this job is maintaining calmness. It’s not an easy task because 95% of the time, when people call, they’re hysterical. To calm people down, operators use techniques such as speaking in a calm voice, using a softer tone, and talking slowly to ensure understanding. They keep talking and have the callers look for clues to determine their location and help them focus.
Quiet
No one in this field will say the word “quiet.” Nurses don’t use it either because they all know that as soon as they do, it will inevitably get busy and calls will start coming in rapid succession. They’ll use words like “tranquil” but never “quiet,” as they don’t want people to be hurt or in danger.
Speaking
In dire situations, a caller may not be able to talk. If that’s the case, dispatchers can ask yes-or-no questions and instruct the person to respond by pressing a button. If they don’t press the button, it helps answer specific questions, and in domestic situations, it lets them know if the person is dangerous or not.
Landlines
In the age of cell phones, most people no longer have a landline. However, if you do and an emergency occurs in a location with a landline, the operators would prefer that you call from that line, as it is attached to a specific address. Cell phones only provide an approximate location, which varies depending on the location and carrier. It has been suggested that Verizon and Sprint provide the most accurate locations.
A Difficult Job
This isn’t an easy job, and it takes a lot out of the dispatcher, but they are dedicated to ensuring that people are safe and that they have every chance of being saved. They understand that they are the ones who must listen and comprehend the situation so that they can provide you with the help you need.
