Description

Crisis Management in Emergency Communications—A Comprehensive Guide for Call Takers

In the high-stakes realm of emergency services, the role of the 9-1-1 call taker is critical, often acting as the first lifeline for individuals in distress. This book presents a transformative training manual designed to equip new and experienced Call Takers with essential skills and profound understanding of crisis dynamics as well.

Recognizing that crisis affects us all, this guide delineates what constitutes a crisis, its triggers, and its potential for growth and change. Journeying through the educational framework, participants will explore the nature of crises, such as trauma from violence, addiction, grief, and loss, gaining insight into handling these delicate situations with confidence and empathy.

The curriculum is built around three foundational pillars:

1. To Do (Skill): Developing practical skills for effective crisis listening and innovative problem-solving strategies.

2. To Know (Understanding): Gaining knowledge about the various types of crises, their stages, and the intricacies involved in each situation.

3. To Be (Resources):

Understanding the available resources within the community to provide immediate help and guidance to those in need. Readers will learn the importance of compiling relevant resource lists tailored to their communities, empowering them to take initiative when handling crisis calls.

This instructional manual not only provides critical knowledge but also emphasizes the opportunity to become a beacon of hope in moments of turmoil. Participants will emerge as informed and skilled helpers, capable of transforming chaos into an opportunity for assistance and community connection—reinforcing the intrinsic truth that even in the darkest times, there is potential for profound growth and life changes. Through rigorous training and personalized resource development, this project promises to metamorphose ordinary dispatchers into exceptional crisis intervention specialists who are ready to make a tangible difference in today’s society.

Quotes from Call Takers

I just am not confident talking to a suicidal person, I’ve never had much training when it comes down to it.  Call Taker 2 years Texas.

She ultimately died before the responders reached her, but I was with her, she was a nice person. It was too late. I did what I could and I think I comforted her as the last person she ever talked to.  Experience Call Taker WA