LETTER: Paying tribute to telecommunicators

SooToday has received the following letter to the editor from Sault Area Hospital Central Ambulance Communications Centre Manager Terri MacMillan who wants to draw attention to the dedicated and capable service rendered by emergency communicators.

Each year, the second week of April is dedicated to recognizing the service of emergency communicators. This annual celebration was initiated in 1981 by a dispatcher in California named Patricia Anderson.

In 2017, our Central Ambulance Communication Centre handled 26,531 calls for ambulance and fire throughout the Algoma District. Some callers are anxious, distraught or confused and the call taker must remain calm in these high stress situations. Sometimes, the questions we ask can be frustrating or upsetting to callers but we need the information in order to provide the best emergency response to the person in need.

The provincial government sets high standards that must be met with regard to how we prioritize and dispatch calls and how long that takes us (no more than two minutes, 90 per cent of the time).

When a person dials 911 from a landline that has subscribed to the 911 service, the address information will show up on the call taker’s screen. In the event that a caller is using a cell phone, some information may show such as the phone number and possibly the closest tower that provided the 911 connection.

We need to ask detailed location information such as “what city or town” and also the “closest intersection or cross street”. This information helps us find the location on a map. We ask apartment number and access code as well, again to help locate the person who needs help.

We ask specific medical questions in order to send the proper resources and help the paramedics decide what specific equipment to bring to the person. The call taking process takes only a few minutes but it can seem longer in a crisis. Our goal is to find out what happened and how we can help before the paramedics or fire crews arrive. This includes giving CPR on the phone or staying on the line with a frightened child.

The dispatcher locally is responsible for 18 ambulances and supervisor vehicles and 27 fire and first response teams. We work with four staff on duty during the day and three at night. It is important to have strong listening skills and the ability to prioritize actions. Multitasking is a requirement and only 5 per cent of the population has the ability to be an emergency telecommunicator.

Increased awareness about the stress of this profession has helped us realize that some calls will affect us after the day is done. When a caller experiences trauma, those that help will also be a part of that trauma. We are now learning to recognize the signs of stress and fatigue so we can take action to protect ourselves so we can continue to serve the public with courtesy and compassion!

This week, we acknowledge and salute all the wonderful telecommunicators who are our first points of contact when we need help the most!

Terri MacMillan
Manager, Central Ambulance Communications Centre, SAH

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