In Part 1 of this discussion on stress, we looked at facts. In Part 2, we looked at our reaction to facts and how these color our physical and emotional response in the moment and cumulatively throughout a 911 Dispatch career. We addressed perception and resilience factors. Most of us can now recognize that we face a wide variety of stressors in our everyday life. What about how stressors specific to dealing with 911 calls? In this final part, we address some stressors unique to this occupation.
Auditory Helplessness
We are listening to the scene. We are helping mitigate. We are responding to the constantly changing nature of its chaos. While at the same time, WE CAN’T PHYSICALLY DO ANYTHING. I’ve been in fire/EMS for six years and I can tell you that I found it more stressful being a 911 Dispatcher. The main reason is that although I’m feeling the same physical and physiological response to the event as someone who is on 911 talking to the family who called in that their house is on fire or their baby is choking, I can physically do something to mitigate the emergency. I can put water on the fire. I can begin the Heimlich maneuver. I can help someone breathe or keep their heart beating. I’m moving. I’m doing heavy lifting. Not only am I dissipating my body’s chemical response but I can DO something. Even if it doesn’t have a positive outcome, my body and mind tell me I did everything I could.
Closure
Because I’m on scene for the emergency, I also get a sense of closure which is another aspect of 911 that creates stress. When we take a 911 call, we handle it until other first responders get there. Once the officer, firefighter or medic is on scene, we hang up and move on…immediately. Then the next call comes through and we do it all over again. As a field responder, I get to stay until the emergency is stabilized and cleaned up. We might go right back into service or have to run to the next emergency, but there is a sense of closure. I know how things turned out and that gives me the ability to move on more easily. In 911, it’s just, Beep. Where’s your emergency? Beep. Where’s your emergency? Ad infinitum for a career.
Time Pressure
A recent study has shown that feeling like there are time constraints attached to an event makes our perceptions and reactions to it even more acute. A new 911 Dispatcher, ones who work under strict quotas or those who are understaffed may feel this more heavily. At my former agency, we were asked to handle a call, from start to finish if possible within 90 seconds. We were expected to answer 200 calls per eight hour shift. This meant I focused on getting to the point, getting help on the way and getting off the call as soon as possible. Add to this, someone who wants to share everything that has happened for the last two months to why they called today and my stress level would go through the roof. We had a ticker board that would tell us how many calls were holding and I felt a lot different physically and mentally when the board sat at zero versus when it shot up to 15. Another aspect to this is when 911 Dispatchers also answer non-emergency lines. When I sat in with my best friend, a 23-year veteran of 911, a caller asked, “Did I call the non-emergency line?” My friend responded, “Yes, although I answer 911 too so I might have to put you on hold to answer emergency calls.” After that statement, the whole tone of the conversation changed. It felt time pressured. The caller did not get good customer service although they called the correct number for their issue. And, my friend felt pressured to complete this call quickly so she was available for true emergencies.
Rudeness
We deal with upset people all the time. They can be impatient and rude. I’ve been called every name in the book, but the word that bothers me most? The one that to me is fighting words? Lady. As in, Listen, lady. Just get the police out here NOW. Got it? My initial reaction would be to think, “You know I could just hang up on you and no officer will ever know you need help.” But, my professionalism would kick in and I would just pinch my lips and try to be as helpful as I could. Times are changing but unfortunately not for the better. With the increased adversarial relationship between first responders and their community, as well as the increase in people feeling they know how we should do our jobs based on what they’ve seen on TV and the internet, the demands, rudeness and derogatory names have increased.
Screaming
Often screaming is described as blood-curling. Research has shown that that particular sound creates a physiological response in all humans. It is a sticky sound like music. Have you ever wondered why you can remember the tune and words to hundreds of songs without even trying? It’s because sticky sounds go straight to our long-term memory without a conscious choice. It integrates immediately. We cannot control our primal response to screaming. We do not become immune to it. When I was going through 911 Dispatcher training, we listened to a variety of 911 calls. One was an incident where a woman’s 6-year-old son was in the backyard with the family’s wolf hybrid. Something happened and the dog attacked the child. Mom was inside on the phone with 911 outlining what she was seeing, unable to do anything and screaming. The 911 Dispatcher kept trying to get her to do something, anything to help the child who was also screaming in the background. I still get chills when I think about that call.
Add to these unique call stressors, the organizational factors 911 Dispatchers deal with and it’s no wonder so many operators fight with emotional and physical consequences. Most centers are understaffed and overworked. Much of the equipment is sub-par. Organizations talk about time off, self-care and healthy coping skills but don’t support their people when they try to access them. It’s really up to each one of us who has sat under the headset to take control of stress by first acknowledging it and second insisting on ways to mitigate it for ourselves and our coworkers. We do this with good nutrition, hydration and sleep. We get outside and move our bodies. We take time to hang out and laugh with our friends and family. We let the maddest, baddest and saddest go for just a little while. Essentially, we need to put ourselves first. If there is not a healthy body in that chair to do the good work, the citizens and the field responders suffer. They need you to take care of yourself so please start doing it.
