I've had both the honour, and terror of working as a call handler for the emergency services and being responsible for dispatching the emergency services to calls. It is the most terrifying and rewarding thing I have ever done - given the choice I would prefer to never do it again.
The service I was working for at the time was short staffed, so I was given the opportunity to fulfil the duty for a week.
There is a sadness that comes with the position that one can never understand unless you have been there. Of all the terrible things I've physically witnessed by active duty, the saddest moments I've had have been when I've had to end the call with the caller because the relevant emergency service arrived. When you are working on the ambulance and you physically get to respond to the call, you have some type of closure. You get to be there for the patient and their family. You get to do something. I got to dispatch the emergency service that was needed, I got the opportunity to make sure that the people in need received the correct people to help them.
I never got to know the outcome.
Did that person who was receiving CPR because I instructed them on how to do it over the phone live? Who was there to comfort them?
Did that 7 year old girl see her Mum alive again after she called because she couldn't wake her up?
Did that 70+ year old man ever have the opportunity to have his wife of 50+ years hear her say she loves him after the stroke she suffered?
I don't know. I will never know.
Thank you, Dispatchers for all you do.
I don't know how you do it every day. I was an emotional wreck after my week and all I wanted to do was find these people I had spoken to and hug them, comfort them, be there for them.
They say that you distance yourself and your emotions - I can do that, and I do that - when I have the ability to know that we did everything we could have to save someone. On the phone? I know I did everything I could have, but the terror of their panic has stayed with me all these years later. I can still hear their voices, I can feel their hearts breaking and there's nothing I can do about it.
Thank you Dispatchers - you are one of a kind and deserve so much love and appreciation.
LEARN HOW TO DO FIRST AID AND CPR!
Apologies for shouting - but seriously, anyone who is reading this - please take a couple of minutes out of your day to watch a video I try and show / tell everyone about (it is very graphic because it involves a real resuscitation with CPR so you will have to view it on YouTube, but his life was saved!):
(Video credit: ArrhythmiaAlliance, YouTube)
CPR stands for cardio pulmonary resuscitation - heart + lungs = bringing back to life.
When we as the emergency services turn up on scene, YOU as a first aider, you have made the difference between life or death. By initiating the right chain of communication and providing immediate CPR to someone who needs it, you will be the difference between life and death.
A basic overview of how to approach any scene:
HHH CAB
H - Hazards
You need to make sure you are safe first! Never put yourself in danger.
H - Hello
Check the person's level of consciousness - if they are talking to you, they won't need CPR. If the person is unresponsive you move on and call for HELP!
H - Help
Seriously, call for help in any way possible - screaming, a telephone / cell phone, a work site radio. Get people's attention to alert the emergency services immediately.
C - Circulation
Check for a carotid pulse - that's the pulse that's at the neck. There are hundreds of videos on YouTube that show you how to do this, try it on your family so that your fingers get sensitive and know what it feels like.
When someone is unconscious and you feel for a pulse, you are checking for no longer than 10 seconds. If you feel nothing in 10 seconds you start compressions!
Compressions are done on the nipple line in the centre of the chest. The heel of your dominant hand is placed down first, lock your fingers and push hard and fast.
A - Airway
B - Breathing
Airway and breathing are complicated because of COVID-19 and I would discourage anyone from using mouth-to-mouth or mouth-to-nose respirations unless you know who that person is (eg. a family member you live with) or you are trained and competent with a suitable barrier device.
CPR + AED
I have included this video here (credit to: St John Ambulance, YouTube), because I feel that it is extremely important that you get to see how you can help.
Please do yourself a favour, read up, get training. I guarantee you at some point in your life you will be the only thing standing between life and death of someone - know what to do when that happens.
Please remember:
This post is not classified as first aid training, it's something to give you more knowledge and to hopefully make you pursue some professional training so that when something bad happens, you can make a difference that all of us can.
Lead Image by Pixabay User: geralt
They must ensure that the accounting company they engage is capable of keeping up with the changing nature of their business as well as the increasing digitization of the sector in which they operate. You may maintain track of the transportation on a time-based basis by going to https://fleet.care/ and entering your tracking number. This web-based information technology computer program may be beneficial to your vehicle operator firm due to the large range of tasks it provides. Using accounting software, a company's financial reporting requirements may be tracked and handled. It is more efficient due to the fact that no computations are performed in this situation. It is not necessary to have any accounting knowledge in order to utilize it. Because there are so many accounting software alternatives available on the market, it may be difficult to determine which one is the best fit for your requirements. While keeping these principles in mind, you'll discover that this strategy is much less complicated than you may imagine.