A look into the Parkland Ambulance Communications room in Prince Albert. (Derek Craddock/paNOW Staff)

By Derek Craddock

SALUTE TO THE FRONTLINES

‘We are a lifeline’: A look inside the busy world of emergency dispatchers

Apr 14, 2023 | 12:00 PM

They are the first, first responders and the lifeline you need when faced with an emergency.

This week, Emergency Telecommunications workers are being recognized during National Public Safety Telecommunications Week.

paNOW spoke to some of those hard-working individuals to hear why they matter and what challenges they face daily.

For one, it is a job not for the faint of heart as emergency dispatchers deal with people in some of their darkest hours. Yet, that voice on the phone is the first and most important voice they will hear in those situations.

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Betty Lussier has worked with Parkland Ambulance for nearly 10 years and said it’s their job to ensure they get the ambulance to where they need to go.

However, that can sometimes be a challenge, especially in rural areas where cell phone GPS may not always be available.

“With TV shows out there, everyone thinks that once they call 911 they know exactly where they are and that’s not the case,” she said. “You need to know what questions to ask and how to dig to find the location.”

That includes asking callers to say which direction they were heading and what landmarks are nearby.

Fellow dispatcher Jessica Masserey said with landlines, it’s easier to ping a location but with cell phones, they often connect to the nearest tower which could be kilometres away from the caller’s location.

The job is also extremely busy as Lussier said they often get between 80-90 calls a day. She added that there is always a need for more workers in this field.

“We’re only consistently getting busier and busier,” she said.

Parkland Ambulance Communications is one of three medical communication coordination centres in Saskatchewan and handles over 31,000 calls per year for 16 different ambulance companies in the northern region.

While the job requires a lot of emotional and mental strength, these women said they take pride in their work and explain some of the reasons they like the job.

“Every day is different,” said Alex Wheeler. “Calming a frantic caller down enough to be able to have a calm conversation to help their loved ones.”

“Being able to make a difference to help people in their time of need,” added Lussier. “There’s never any scenario the same, the day is never repetitive.”

National Public Safety Telecommunications Week was initially set up in 1981 as a time to celebrate and thank those who dedicate their lives to serving the public.

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derek.craddock@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @princealbertnow