Medicine Hat 911 dispatcher Alison Jesske (CHAT News photo Ross Lavigne)

By Brendan Miller

First moments of a 911 call: how local dispatchers respond to emergencies

Apr 13, 2023 | 4:52 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Every day people rely on the calm and confident voice of a 911 dispatcher when an emergency occurs.

The information the dispatcher gathers during the first moments of a 911 call provides vital information for first responders on their way to the scene.

Every second counts. Depending on the situation, dispatchers follow their protocols to ensure help arrives swiftly.

“We always ask what the emergency is so that helps us determine which agency is going to need to respond whether it be police, fire or ambulance. Then we will ask what town or city to make sure we are getting the right agency for you,” says Alison Jesske, a Medicine Hat dispatcher with 17 years of experience.

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“We will ask for an address so we know where we are sending. We’ll get a phone number from you so if you get disconnected we are able to call you back,” adds Jesske.

Dispatchers will assess the safety of the scene for first responders and the caller, and further conversation helps dispatchers determine how many units are needed to respond, or what type of fire truck might be needed at the scene.

“They are going to ask you a number of questions and please be patient. All that information is important to first responders and so all of the questions have a reason and it may be for your safety or for responders’ safety,” says Jaci Fox, acting strategic manager & business analyst with the City of Medicine Hat.

“They are usually calling on the worst day of their lives so as dispatchers we remove ourselves, we know that it’s not our emergency, that’s their emergency and so we know that we need to gather the information in order to get them the help they need,” says Jesske.

This week, 911 dispatchers who work tirelessly across North America are being honoured during National Telecommunicators Week.

In Medicine Hat, 21 dispatchers work around the clock answering 125,000 calls for service every year. About 24,000 calls are 911 emergencies, the rest include city service calls including special transit and after-hours emergency utility calls.

“It gives us a great opportunity to help people. The agencies we work for really appreciate the work that we do and it’s a really rewarding position to be in,” says Jesske.

“They are that calm, confident voice that helps you in an emergency and they are very proud of that. We are so happy with the talent we have in this centre. We serve the community with pride and confidence and calm,” says Fox.

Sometimes it can be a difficult job, but these dispatchers in Medicine Hat remain committed to providing the highest level of service to our community.