April 13-19 is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week
Source: Hall Ambulance
They are among our nation’s first responders, rarely seen but always heard and appreciated. These calm voices transmitting over the radio airwaves belong to the heroes behind the scenes who ensure that an ambulance responds to every 9-1-1 request for medical aid. They are emergency medical dispatchers (EMDs)!
April 13–19 is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, and Hall Ambulance is taking the time to celebrate its EMDs, who are a critical part of Kern County’s 9-1-1 system. This annual recognition pays tribute to the thousands of men and women who answer the call and deploy emergency personnel and resources to those in need.
As the access point to emergency medical services, EMDs ascertain what assistance is required, respond the appropriate level of help, and can relay life-saving instructions over the phone while an ambulance is enroute.
In Kern County, the Nedra E. Thompson Communications Center processes 100% of all requests for ambulance service. Operating around the clock, in 2024, the center dispatched 151,610 calls, including 13,326 instances in which dispatchers provided pre-arrival instructions, such as guiding someone through performing CPR or the Heimlich maneuver.
In 2011, Hall Ambulance’s dispatch center became the 154th in the world to be recognized as an Accredited Center of Excellence (ACE) by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch and has successfully completed four subsequent re-accreditations.
