National First Responders Day: Dispatchers Detail 'Trying' Jobs

The Bakersfield Californian

Dispatch supervisor Hillary Luff answered two urgent phone calls simultaneously. One requested medical assistance for an unconscious person and the other detailed an individual trapped in a house fire.

Which call must she respond to first? Who should be deployed? What information needs to be gleaned in a timely manner?

"You have to make that decision and you hope that it's the right one," said Luff, a dispatcher with the Bakersfield Fire Department for more than 21 years. "That can be very trying on you."

Though this particular scenario is only an example, dispatchers make daily split-second decisions akin to this situation. Each decision could determine if a person lives or dies.

Emergency communications center workers quite literally are the first responders to traumatic events.

However, it took until 2020 — with the passage of Assembly Bill 1945 — for a law to enshrine dispatchers as first responders.

The Californian interviewed dispatchers throughout Kern County to fully understand the gravity of their role.

On the Job

Bakersfield Police Department dispatcher Brandy Watts developed a routine once she arrives at her job. She grabs her headset, pours some coffee or water, and "get(s) into the zone."

The zone is a mind-set that removes any interferences, said Watts, an emergency communications employee for roughly 21 years. At any minute, she could answer a call about a suffocating baby or any of myriad stressful events.

"What is required at that moment is (an) immediate response — clear and non-distracted," added Watts, who often works anywhere from an eight- to 16-hour day. "I get into that frame of mind to just help people."

High levels of focus prove important in large-scale situations involving multiple agencies. Watts recalls how bank robberies warrant such resources. Bringing justice to a teller in a bank, who endured having a gun pointed at him, is very rewarding, she said.

Kern County Fire Department Emergency Dispatch Supervisor Kristy Moore recalls fielding calls from people she personally knows and who are experiencing a traumatic situation.

Luff said she wonders if their efforts actually succeed, which is another layer of hardship on her job. They may aid the caller, but responding crews take over once at the scene. Dispatchers then move onto the next scenario. She has often asked a crew member if her CPR instructions allowed an individual to survive or perish.

Callers become upset when dispatchers seek more information, believing help is delayed, the dispatchers shared. Responding crews have already been deployed; however, the dispatchers need additional information, such as an address and updates amid the dire circumstances.

"It's very intensive," Moore said. "We hear a lot of heavy stuff and sometimes people don't always end up happily ever after for us."

A Silver Lining

Some silver lining shines through the trauma for dispatchers.

Watts recalls a dog accidentally dialed 9-1-1. She answered the phone and introduced herself. She only heard panting, until the owner picked up the device and apologized.

"Funny things like that are great," Watts said.

Moore recalls helping a woman deliver a baby on Moore's own birthday. A family member pulled into the parking lot of a business and contacted the emergency line, she said.

Moore determined the mother felt contractions and was far along in labor. She guided her through very specific instructions to push. The healthy baby emerged, and Moore met both the mother and child months later.

"We don't often get a lot of closure," the dispatcher said. "That's one of those calls where I know exactly what happened and I got to actually meet the people who I helped."

Luff also recalls helping mothers in labor over the phone and hearing the baby's wails.

"Those are the very special times," Luff said. "It's an amazing sound."

Self-Care for Dispatchers

Guiding people through trauma daily inflicts a heavy toll on dispatchers, which can lead to PTSD, Luff said.

"When you're doing that every single day, and you don't have time to decompress… it accumulate(s)," Luff added.

Exercising, eating healthy and receiving lots of sleep provides the correct nourishment amid the stress. Relying on a support system to talk about the rough days also lends healing for these first responders.

Luff is on the board for a nonprofit called Public Safety Professionals Retreat, also known as PSPR or ProSPeR. The service aims to help first responders cope with their trauma and better their mental health.

Many first responders may brush off any repercussions because the culture of their profession demands excellence above all.

"Don't be afraid to say, 'I'm hurting, I'm having some hard time with this,'" Luff said. "It's OK to ask for help. It's OK to need people."