A 911 call taker shares what helps — and hurts — in a crisis

One of my favorite scenes from the 1980s sitcom “Mama’s Family” was when Thelma “Mama” Harper’s daughter-in-law, Naomi, brought Harper to her childbirth-breathing class. Harper interjected that, back in her day, the technique she learned was, “Inhale. AAAAAAHHHHHH!”

Joking aside, the importance of remaining calm, collected and informative — as hard as that can be — is key when describing a situation to 911 dispatchers.

Last week was National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, a time set aside to lift up the crucial emergency response workers who are often remembered last. 911 dispatchers and call takers answer the phones during the worst times in people’s lives. They are bound to have raw emotion — anger, pain, grief, hysteria — heaped upon them in moments when seconds can be the difference between life and death.

Two years ago, I visited Cherokee County’s 911 center and saw firsthand how they’ve created a warm, therapeutic culture for the warriors who are on the first line. I followed up with them to check in and to see how the public can help them, well, help the public.

“I would say the biggest thing is to know your location. We can’t get help to you, if we don’t know where you are,” community outreach leader and call taker Jennifer Lasenyik said. “A lot of times people will call in and they’ll just literally start, ‘I’m at the, that road next to the McDonald’s across from the big tree… .’ I need an address.”

I have heard the confusion in real time on police scanners and have listened as first responders have lost time trying to find crashes and other emergencies while someone is bleeding or having a mental health crisis. Knowing the location of an emergency when calling it in is critical to success.

“Give me an intersecting street — something,” Lasenyik said. “We do have technology that can help us, but it’s not a hundred percent accurate. So even if we use that, we still need to verify with you where that is.”

She urges patience with 911 dispatchers if they ask multiple follow-up questions. Those queries are part of a protocol aimed at offering the best help.

Members of the public are not the only ones who can create confusion for 911 workers. Even first responders sometimes describe locations poorly. I have heard them call in from an interstate and give the wrong direction or exit (or none at all) or get other key details incorrect. Sometimes I know they have it wrong, because I am looking at the very crash they are describing.

Besides giving as much accurate detail as possible, Lasenyik also wants people to try to remain composed and remember they are speaking to people on the other end of the phone.

“Keeping a calm tone helps,” Lasenyik said. “When you’re stressed, things can come across wrong. I understand that. I’ve had people call me before and apologize the next day.”

And people should feel calmer, she said, in knowing help is coming as soon as possible and can arrive even faster if they remain collected and informative.