08:01 AM. Dothan Fire Rolls To A Medical Emergency

Rickey Stokes

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Posted by: RStokes
[email protected]
334-790-1729
Date: Jun 25 2022 8:19 AM

DOTHAN:     At 07:56 AM Dothan’s Central 911 dispatch had a structure fire call. Within 5 minutes fire engines were on the scene.

At 8:00 Dothan Central 911 receives another emergency, this time a person not breathing. The 911 dispatch rolls emergency units to the scene. Realize some units are still on the fire scene.

The 911 Dispatcher is committed 100% to the caller on the patient not breathing stepping them through beginning CPR. That dispatcher will take no other call and her 100% attention is to this one call.

Dothan Fire, Pilcher Ambulance and Dothan Police are screaming to this residence. Once they enter the residence and being treatment, and the 911 dispatcher knows they are inside, the 911 dispatcher will then hang up and the call is turned over to fire - EMS and law enforcement.

At 8:07 AM the fire engine is on the scene. Response took 7 minutes because the assigned fire engine company was already on the scene of another call.

No way am I mentioning the location of the call. Prayerfully the patient is saved.

But here is the point. At 07:46 AM the 911 Dispatcher is taking a fire call, making sure all residents evacuate and getting all emergency units rolling to the emergency.

At 08:00 AM the 911 Dispatcher is taking a medical emergency where a person is not breathing. The dispatcher is attempting to calm the caller, get them focused, and directing them on beginning CPR, 100% devoted to this caller while another 911 dispatcher is rolling the nearest emergency care.

This is what 911 is about. These men and women are the central nervous system for all emergency in Dothan - Houston County. It is a fun and exciting job because as you see within 15 minutes it goes from a structure fire to a person not breathing. Regardless of the outcome of the medical emergency, that 911 dispatcher did all they could do to assist the caller in doing what could be done to save a life while the other 911 dispatchers rolled the nearest help.

The 911 dispatcher knows they did everything possible to help save a life. The final outcome is not their call but the call of a higher power, GOD. But all humanly possible has been done.

While all of the field units who actual respond are important, it is the men and women in the 911 Center who are the key, the central nervous system which makes everything happen. They are the least recognized, you do not see them in the news, being covered and praised. They are the voice on the phone and the voice on the radio.

They are the ones, if a officer is shot ( GOD FORBID) who HAS TO REMAIN CALM. The very tone of their voice means if all of the law enforcement - fire and EMS remain calm or fall apart. Extremely important what they do and I personally THANK THEM for what they do.

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