REGINA — On a daily basis, 911 dispatchers in Regina answer hundreds of calls about safety-risk situations.
Destiny Pentz, a 911 dispatcher with six years of experience, said the job is centred on making sure callers stay safe on the other end of the line.
“A lot of times, people feel like we're a safety net to them, just being the voice on the phone.”
Between Jan. 1 and April 13, the Regina Police Service (RPS) Communication Centre received more than 27,000 911 emergency calls.
Pentz said a single call can last anywhere from a minute to 20 minutes, as a dispatcher tries to grasp the situation.
“[For the callers], it's their worst, most traumatic days. So, having to process that, deal with their stressful situations, answer with empathy and do things very fast and efficiently.”
During high-stress situations, not every caller can articulate their words. Pentz said it’s important to remind the caller constantly that help is coming.
Dispatching
Pentz said dispatching first responders is determined by the caller’s safety and the overall situation.
“We have a priority system; some are Priority 1 calls. Those have to be dispatched within two minutes, so all your information has to be entered within a few minutes, and then you have two minutes to get officers on their way, and then our next priority is to get them going within10 minutes.”
Overall, Pentz said the system has four different categories for prioritizing calls.
Along with categorizing calls, Pentz noted 911 dispatchers have to ensure the right resources will be deployed.
“You're going to look at the crisis that's going on, so if there's a weapon involved, you're going to want to make sure that you send the amount of resources that are required for that. We also have some officers that are trained in specific areas as well, so like let's say if it was a bomb call, we have officers that are trained in bomb-related incidents.”
At Regina’s call centre, any police responses will be handled by their dispatchers.
If a call involves Regina Fire or EMS, it will be routed to the appropriate front-line agency.
Mental health
As a 911 dispatcher, Pentz has to be ready for traumatic situations every day.
However, constant calls could impact dispatchers' mental health, which is why the RPS offers various supports.
“We have our critical incident stress management team that works alongside us, and they would do check-ins with us. We also have counsellors that work directly with the com centre,” said Pentz.
The check-ins happen quarterly, where workers answer several questions.
“They ask how we manage dealing with our stress every single day and how we can go home with our family and ensure that we're happy when we get there and continue to be happy and not let the stress of the job affect us outside of here.”
Pentz said anyone who can keep a level head will find the job very rewarding.
“Our role is important, and I think that we are a huge asset to the service.”
She added, “I do believe that I play almost just as much as an important a role [as frontline officers] in ensuring the situation is being handled and the caller is safe.”
