Public Safety Telecommunicators Week is April 11–17

PRESS RELEASE

Hall Ambulance will join with other public safety and EMS organizations across the United States to celebrate the vital contributions emergency dispatchers have in answering the call for someone in need.  

National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week honors those #headsetheroes who have the difficult job of answering 9-1-1 calls, determining required resources, dispatching those resources, and providing guidance, comfort, and support to the caller until help arrives.

Hall Ambulance’s dispatch center, known as Operations Control Division (OCD), is responsible for processing every request for medical aid in Kern County, California, initially received through the 9-1-1 system. Last year, OCD processed 123,473 calls from people requesting an ambulance. Of those, Hall Ambulance Dispatchers EMD'd 11,494 calls using a standardized questioning format that all 9-1-1 and secondary communications centers use to determine what resources need to respond. The dispatchers also provide pre-arrival instructions if needed. 

“I am excited to bring recognition to these unseen heroes who play such a vital role in the delivery of emergency medical services,” said Lavonne C. Hall, Hall Ambulance President and CEO. “The job of an emergency medical dispatcher is difficult and entails a high level of stress in that they do not have the benefit of seeing the patient, scene, or scenario. The certified emergency medical dispatchers must act based on their training and what they are able to ascertain from their conversation with the calling party.” 

Hall Ambulance will provide dispatchers with custom T-shirts emblazoned with the #HeadsetHeroes tagline and lanyards, along with a banner that will be on display outside of the communications center’s office. In addition, each shift will receive a complimentary lunch or dinner. 

Hall Ambulance employs 27 individuals in its dispatch center, where they work 12-hour shifts.

OCD is internationally recognized as an Accredited Center of Excellence (ACE) by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED). Hall Ambulance became the second dispatcher center in Kern County and the 154th in the world to achieve this level of accreditation.

Founded in 1971, Hall Ambulance Service Inc. is the 9-1-1 paramedic provider for 88% of Kern County's population.