911 call centre: Not for everyone, but never boring

By Gillian Slade on September 7, 2018.

gslade@medicinehatnews.com  @MHNGillianSlade

There is never a dull moment at the Medicine Hat 911 call centre, and they come 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Calls come in from across Medicine Hat, Cypress County and County of Forty Mile.

Dispatching police could mean Medicine Hat Police Service or the RCMP, and a fire emergency could relate to any one of 18 fire departments depending on where the call originated.

“For people who like variety this has got variety, very interesting work,” said Colleen Bachewich, Medicine Hat’s superintendent of 911 communication.

A medical emergency call is transferred to Calgary and an ambulance is then dispatched. However, other emergency services may also be needed, and the operators makes that decision.

For example, the caller may have had a road accident that resulted in a vehicle fire and someone being burned. That triggers the request for an ambulance. The operator may still dispatch fire and police if required, said Bachewich.

While an operator is talking to the caller, after service has been dispatched, another operator listens and passes on vital information to the crew already on their way.

“Active listening and multi-tasking is the key,” said Bachewich.

Not everyone is suited to the nature of 911 work as it can be very challenging.

“It takes about two years to be fully trained,” said Bachewich, who oversees a staff of about 20 working a range of shifts because 911 is always open.

Of all the calls coming in to 911, police account for most — about 35,000 calls a year — and special transit is next. Fire and utility calls account for about 4,600 each per year. Yes, after hours utility emergency calls, taking calls and doing the dispatching for special transit, and police non-emergency calls, are handled by the 911 call centre, too.

In fact, a power failure in the city generally triggers one of the busiest times for the centre, said Bachewich. A power failure could mean an electrical wire is down, perhaps from a wind storm, and may have started a wildfire. Many people may be affected triggering multiple calls about the same issue. It can become so busy extra staff are called in.

About 99.1 per cent of local 911 calls are answered within 15 seconds.

Taber becomes the immediate backup 911 call centre if something went wrong in Medicine Hat. The call centre would then move to its backup office to Brier Park, and those Taber calls would return to Medicine Hat, said Bachewich.

If someone is calling from a landline the location will likely be displayed to the operator, but that is not always the case for cellphones.

“If there is a hangup on a cellphone we have ways to try and determine the location but it takes longer,” said Bachewich.

Even when information is displayed it is important for the operator to verify to ensure accuracy.

Rural calls can be the most challenging to locate, said Bachewich. People travelling in a rural area sometimes do not know where they are.

Operators work with a variety of protocols specifically designed to handle a range of issues from a sinking vehicle, floods, wildfires and a shooting, to name a few.

The protocols, easily accessible electronically and on card sets, have questions the operator should ask, said Bachewich. These protocols used to apply only to medical calls, but over time the value for all emergency calls has been proven. They are an aid to remember to ask all the appropriate questions with consistency.

The calls may be distressing. A range of services for operators are available including debriefing and peer support depending on the need, said Bachewich. Each person handles the job differently but efforts are made to provide the support they need.

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