Dr. Violet Rymshaw, CEO of Innovative Writing and former emergency dispatcher for police, fire, and EMS, discusses her research on the distinct needs of emergency dispatcher wellness. She talks about stressful calls and center culture as well as small steps to take toward improving the profession overall.
Dr. Paul Bourgeois, PhD, CRC, NCC, and Director of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Programs at the University of New Haven, discusses his research into emergency dispatcher mental health. He talks about parallels between emergency dispatchers and counselors as well as first steps in improving the mental health climate in your agency.
Danissa Alston, Montgomery County Maryland 9-1-1 Communication Center’s staff social worker, discusses how mental health and body health are connected and what you can do today to reduce your stress levels.
Rabbi Cary Friedman, Associate Director of the Law Enforcement Survival Institute and consultant to the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit, discusses the role of spirituality in first response, including how to refill your depleted reservoirs.
Police officers, fire fighters, and emergency medical personnel are recognized for their hard work as on-scene responders, however the role of emergency dispatch is easily overlooked. The stressors that are seen in emergency responder work are also experienced by emergency dispatchers. While they are not experiencing these emergencies directly, this presents unique struggles for them.
The occupational demands of public safety communicators has led to conditions such as high levels of stress, anxiety and PTSD1-4
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.
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...
Chandy Ghosh and Monica Million, co-founders of NENA's WIN initiative, discuss the need for spaces dedicated to women in 911 as well as WIN's objectives...
Historically, 911 professionals have not received specialized training in dispatch and call management related to mental crises and suicidality. This lack of training may contribute to lack of confidence and elevated anxiety in successfully handling these call types. A new model of training, Emergency Mental Health Dispatching™ (EMHD), which aims to equip 911 professionals to manage these calls has been developed to address this need. The objective of this case study was to measure the impact of EMHD via two specific aims. The first aim...