Years ago, when I worked in a 911 center, I don’t ever remember hearing the terms “vicarious trauma,” or “compassion fatigue.”
Occasionally “burnout” was mentioned to describe how we felt after long stretches of intense work; although it mostly expressed
years of exhaustion and time spent in the emergency dispatch center. Not much attention was given to the day-to-day stress and
mental trauma that was happening along the way.
Kerri Hatt, editor-in-chief of EMS 1, and Anthony Minge, Senior Partner with Fitch & Associates, discuss the 2021 EMS Trend Report, including what insights and markers have changed since the 2020 report and which ones haven't.
Chaplain Russell Myers, Allina Health EMS, talks about the role of chaplains in EMS and emergency dispatch. He discusses research he's conducted about the most stressful EMS calls as well as things to consider when deciding whether to bring a chaplain into your center...
Kerri Hatt, editor–in–chief of EMS1 magazine, and Anthony Minge, senior partner with Fitch & Associates, discuss the 2020 EMS Trend Report, which continues a five-year effort to identify how EMS providers, managers, and leaders perceive the challenges impacting the sustainability and future of the industry...
Previous studies of emergency dispatch personnel have established high levels of emotional labor, burnout, and turnover intention among this population of first responders. This study is the first to investigate the effect of emergency dispatch script protocols on workplace outcomes of burnout and turnover intention. Hypotheses: The study tests two related hypotheses: Greater script comfort among emergency dispatchers will be associated with decreased emotional exhaustion (Hl) and decreased turnover intention (H2)...
Isabel talks with Dr. David Rozek, a clinical psychologist at the University of Utah. They discuss similarities between veterans and first responders, what cognitive processing therapy focuses on, and how to begin managing the effects of trauma in your own life right now...
Isabel talks with Dr. Stella Benami, researcher and former emergency dispatcher. They discuss how Dr. Benami's experiences in dispatch inspired her dissertation, the difference between compassion fatigue and burnout, and the biggest factors in the mental health of emergency dispatchers...
Empirical literature examining the health and wellness of emergency responders has continued to grow over the past decade. Yet there is a relative absence of literature on 911 telecommunicators, who are often the "first, first responders" in an emergency. Examination of work-related factors that enhance risk for stress and adverse outcomes may improve current prevention and intervention efforts in this population. Civilian 911 calltakers and dispatchers from the state of California (N = 833) participated in an online study to...
Isabel talks with Julie Hardle, Manager of Recovery and Resiliency for Optum Salt Lake County. They discuss the origin of Mental Health First Aid, rituals to put in your self-care toolbox, and how common mental illness is...
Isabel talks with Kevin Pagenkop, a member of the ED-Q Council of Standards. They discuss how ED-Qs experience stress differently than line dispatchers, how giving positive recognition can help combat "the sponge effect," and how giving critical feedback can be just as hard as receiving it...
