S2 E8 Lieutenant Heather Hall - 911 Dispatchers Are Left W/Only A Voice

April 10 - 16th 2022 is National Public Safety Telecommunicators week .
Imagine being blind to a situation and still creating a positive outcome. The 911 operator is the true first responder. They pick up the call when you are seeking help.

Lieutenant Hall is with the Kaufman County Sheriff's Office in Kaufman, Texas. She has been employed as a 911 telecommunicator for 20 years, and has worked as a dispatcher, call taker, trainer, shift supervisor, and most recently has been promoted to the position of Lieutenant, overseeing the dispatch center.

I was excited to do this podcast because there is so many people don't understand about what 911 is, and how amazing the men and women are. They sit in a room and listen to everyone's worst day. They trying to provide some sort of comfort and help when they're really in a helpless situation. They're on a phone, there's nothing physically they can do to help the caller other than being present. If a situation or a call goes badly, the dispatchers left with those voices. I think it's important for people to realize just what incredible people work in this field.

This is a fascinating interview where we discuss the nature of the calls, the skills required and the reality of the 7 year burn-out.  What are the most common calls ? What is your toughest call?  How did it change you? When should you call the admin line vs calling the 911 line.?
This is just the beginning.

Lets give thanks to our 911 dispatchers as we listen and learn more about what they do. 

I want to give a big thank you to Lieutenant Hall. I really appreciate you being my guest today. Thank you for your 20 years of 911 dispatch service and again, congratulations on your promotion. You deserve it!

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