Fawkes has worked to develop an online testing tool that can predict success in resource allocation and by extension emergency telecommunication.
There is a wealth of evidence suggesting that long work hours and burnout affect performance among nurses and physicians. However, no studies have investigated this relationship among non-medical health care providers such as Public Safety Telecommunicators (PSTs), who play a critical role in patient safety.
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.
Occupational Identity is a term used to describe how a person sees themself as a worker. Researchers have studied how one’s identity at work affects not only one’s occupational success, but their attitudes, experiences, and emotions both inside and outside of the workplace. Our featured research article in this issue, written by Violet (Lisa) Rymshaw, PsyD, provides valuable insights on occupational identity among emergency dispatchers—a profession that is sometimes given short shrift within the realm of emergency services occupations.
Emergency medical services require the accuracy of priority dispatching to optimize the match between patients' medical needs, prehospital resources, and maintaining patient safety. When ambulances are traveling with Lights/Sirens rather than with other vehicles' flow and speed on the road, they place themselves and the public at a higher risk. From 1992-2011, 58% of all injuries and fatalities in ambulances occurred when the ambulance was traveling with Lights/Sirens. EMS physician(s) are responsible for all aspects of the EMS system, including EMD protocols. This research aims to evaluate the sensitiv
Previously, researchers have identified barriers and facilitators to using 911 in Black and Hispanic communities. However, there are many other groups that have access to 911 service, who have not yet been represented in the literature. Prior to this study, a Community Engagement Studio (a focus group forum) was held to solicit input from representatives of various diverse communities in Salt Lake Valley on their attitudes, experiences, and perceptions of their local 911 services.
With the increased importance placed on cultivating a translational workforce, there has been demand for emergency dispatching professionals to be more involved in research activities intended to improve patient outcomes. Through interviewing emergency dispatch professionals who attended a research training program, this project sought to better understand how to create more effective research partnerships with practitioners interested in doing research relevant to their field...
Sean Ash, an Emergency Call Handler for the London Ambulance Service NHS Trust discusses how he got into emergency dispatching as well as what it’s like to be a dispatcher with a disability.
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...
There is now substantial research literature on the occupational stress among emergency dispatchers from multiple studies that have cited dispatcher claims of significant emotional, mental, and physical stress as a result of their work. However, there is very little literature that ranks in order of prevalence or severity the factors contributing to overall stress specific to emergency dispatchers. The aim of this study is to collect data that will complement other research findings in this field to inform the development of new programs designed to address specific...