Palmer dispatchers up to the task

On Thursday, the NBC “Today” show aired a “Today Invistigates” segment titled “911 Emergency: Are operators ready for your call?” The segment featured an incident from October 2007 in Murphy, Texas.

A mother called 911 because she discovered that her 21-month-old son, Matthew Cantrell, had become entangled in their soccer goal net. The child was blue and had stopped breathing when she called 911. Mrs. Cantrell pleaded for help, asking for instructions in performing cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. The 911 dispatcher was unable to give the mother any instructions. Sadly, Matthew passed away.

The “Today” show discovered that 18 states have no requirement for emergency dispatchers to have CPR training. As soon as the segment aired, the city of Palmer Emergency Dispatch Center received a call from a local resident who was concerned about Palmer’s dispatcher qualifications, since Palmer is responsible for dispatching all fire, rescue and emergency medical services calls throughout the Matanuska-Susitna Borough.

The city of Palmer Dispatch Center hires applicants only after an intensive vetting process. Applicants take reading comprehension and typing skills tests, and then must successfully pass an oral board interview process and an extensive criminal background check. The new dispatcher must successfully complete the Communications Training Officer supervised three-month training period. This training program is a highly structured, standardized observation and evaluation period in which the trainee is required to meet or exceed the minimum acceptable rating in each of 33 areas of performance. These performance areas reflect not only the industry standard, but the specific needs of the city of Palmer and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. This training is documented by written daily observation reports by the trainer. Historically, about one-third of all new dispatcher-trainees fail to complete Palmer’s rigorous training requirements and are dismissed during probation.

All Palmer dispatchers maintain current CPR and Basic Life Support certification. All have completed Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) certification, including a three-day class approved by the National Academies of Emergency Dispatchers. All complete 24 hours of additional training biannually to maintain EMD certification. This EMD certification qualifies the dispatcher to provide pre-arrival instructions to a caller. For example, when a dispatcher receives a call for a patient suffering chest pains, the dispatcher stays on the phone with the caller and, using established protocols, instructs the caller on how to render aid to the patient who is waiting for an ambulance to arrive.

On Dec. 22, Palmer dispatch received a 911 call regarding an elderly man who had stopped breathing. The Palmer dispatcher took the call, speaking with the man’s daughter. Dispatch sent Central Ambulance and Palmer Rescue and began pre-arrival instructions — in this case, precise instructions to the daughter in how to give CPR to her dad. This woman relayed the CPR instructions to her husband, who administered CPR to the victim. Palmer Fire Chief John McNutt and other members of Palmer Rescue arrived on scene to find CPR in progress. Just as they arrived, the man began to breathe on his own. He was transported, living and breathing, to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. The Mat-Su community can rest assured that their fire, rescue, and emergency medical dispatchers are highly trained and competent. Their training meets or surpasses national industry standards, and their dedication to this community, though often unseen, is evident when residents call for help.

Jonathan Owen is director of Public Safety for the city of Palmer.