Crisis Communications: Managing a Critical Incident for Public Safety Dispatchers

Managing a critical incident, whether caused by acts of nature, an active shooter or a major accident, the public safety dispatcher must be mentally prepared to handle the incident effectively. The public safety dispatcher is the first responder on the scene.

In a critical incident the caller (some incidents the dispatcher and responder), is under extreme physiological distress in the form of anxiety. The caller is experiencing sensory overload in which the five senses collapse and the caller is in a confused state. As a result, the caller is experiencing constricted thinking, unable to see the obvious solution.

The caller is focused on survival while the dispatcher is focused on information. The student will understand the caller usually knows what happened or occurred. The dispatcher needs to understand the caller does not know what information the dispatcher needs.

Because dispatchers are rarely exposed to a critical incident, when one occurs, the dispatcher is immersed into an immediate time compressed incident demanding quick decision-making and resource allocation.

Managing a critical incident is a perishable skill and the dispatcher training should include stress inoculation.

Using a form of stress inoculation, involving live telephone and radio transmissions of recent major critical incidents, will allow the student to understand proper questioning techniques, structure a response, practice, and re-evaluate their response.

This method allows the class to conceptualize the material as a group to enhance learning. Learning for everyone takes place when you push the student’s abilities just outside of their comfort zone with challenging but winnable exercises This course will expose the student to recent critical incidents in which the student will experience constricted thinking by a caller and the proper questioning techniques to assist the caller in providing the necessary information to dispatcher first responders.

In addition, as the initial call develops and responders seem confused, the dispatcher will be prepared to ask responders questions to assist in managing the incident.